INSIDE ITEMS “O Little Once- Christian Town of Bethlehem”

I N S I D E I T E M S ▼

■ UK Think Tank......................3■ Shalom From Sandra.............4■ Led To ZLM.........................5■ Classic Zola......................6-7■ DeSeifering Our World.........8-9■ Our Man In Jerusalem...........10■ Editorials.......................11-14■ Bulletin Board....................18■ Hebrew Lesson...................19■ Select Briefs..................20-21■ Letters To ZLM................22-25■ Editorials......................26-31■ TV Airing Schedule..............30

Nothing is sacred. Christians and Jews bothsuffer underneath Muslim jurisdictions. –Jeff

JANUARY 2008

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.”–ROMANS 10:1

By Dr. Jeffrey L. Seif

Last month, the Levitt Letter’s coverstory was “Christian Arabs Are Van-ishing” and I wrote an accompany-ing piece called “The First Muslim Conquestof the Holy Land.” The two stories exposedreaders to the initial Muslim conquest of Israeland showed that another assault is in themaking. Mindful of the Christmas season,which on the Church calendar runs for twelvedays from December 25 to the eve of Epiphanyon January 5, let’s continue along this line butfocus on the little town of Bethlehem.

In days past, visitors anxious to get a glimpseof Jesus’ city of birth would get off their tourbuses and make haste to the Church of theNativity, the reputed location of Jesus’ manger. En route, a plethora of street vendors would swarm the pilgrims, while established merchants greeted them from storefronts, beckoning them to enter and see their great “deals” and “discounts” on an assort-ment of nativity-related paraphernalia.

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“O Little Once-Christian Townof Bethlehem”

Americans SeeIsrael As AllyBy Jonah Newman,www.JPost.com

A large percentage of Americans continue to support the State ofIsrael, especially in relation tothe Palestinians and the “war on terror,” according to a survey released by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

The survey reveals that a largemajority of Americans, 65%,see Israel as an important ally.A 2005 ADL poll showed nearlyidentical numbers, indicatingthat American support for Israelhas stayed strong and relativelyconstant over the last few years.

This support comes despite thecommon belief that America’sfriendship with Israel makes theU.S. a bigger target for terrorists.Though 65% of respondentsexpressed this conviction, 57%said that the U.S. should continueto give Israel its support.

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2 FOR CREDIT CARD ORDERS OR DONATIONS, YOU MAY CALL 1-800-WONDERS (966-3377).

. . .BETHLEHEM continued

The onslaught could be annoy-ing at times, but we took it all instride. First, these people were only trying to make a living, so why begrudge them that? Second,those traveling with me probablyenjoyed some exposure to the energies inherent in Middle Eastern marketplaces.

That was then—during the “boom.”What about now? Recently the city ofJesus’ birth has tragically gone “bust.”Though “wise men still seek Him,”fewer are seeking Him in the city ofHis birth. During the boom days,91,276 pilgrims typically visitedBethlehem each and every month—before the Muslim occupation. Now,according to the city’s mayor, VictorBataresh, tourism is down over 90%.The decline is horrific.

The locals who greet pilgrims thesedays are dispirited and downcast. Goneare the enthusiasm and optimism thatonce resonated from “Manger Square”and permeated the bustling city ofthe Messiah’s birth. Now a travailingmisery index shinnies upwards as theeconomic index plummets downwards.

With a 65% unemployment rate, andwith no forecasted turnaround in sight,the city that once brought Light intothe world now sits in darkness.

Unlike Mary, who was once turnedaway to the tune of “no room at theinn,” those wanting to stay the nightin Bethlehem have no problem find-ing a room. The once-bustling touristcity averages 2,000 empty hotel roomsper night. It’s much easier to find aroom in the city of Jesus’ birth than tofind a Christian: an exodus is on asChristians flee Bethlehem en masse.

In 1948, Bethlehem was 85% Christian;it is now 12%—and declining fast. UmmahNewsLinks.com reported in“Christian Population on Decline inthe Holy Land” that “Most of theChristians here [in Bethlehem] areeither in the process of leaving, plan-ning to leave, or thinking of leaving.”

In conjunction with that particulartrend, Ummah noted the “native Arab-Christian population has dipped below2 percent of the West Bank, Gaza Strip,and Arab East Jerusalem.” With theovershadowing Muslim Palestinianbirthrate among the highest in theworld, there are concerns that theChristian minority may become extinctin the region within the next sixtyyears. Tragic.

As you might expect, many blame theJews for the decline. As with just aboutevery other problem on planet Earth,many see Jews as the principal culprits:in this case, ruining the ChristianArabs in Israel by the State’s presence.Demonic-inspired Jew/Israel-bashingaside, the abuses that Christian Arabssuffer under Islamic Arab overlords areunreported—or under-reported any-way—pressing Christian Arabs to seekbetter lives outside Muslim jurisdictions.This is the real problem. The PalestinianAuthority seems either unwilling orunable to assist their Christian Arabcitizens.

Peace and Goodwill ?

While we remember Jesus’ birth andsing tunes anticipating “peace on Earth and goodwill toward men,” let’sremember how Christian brethren aresuffering in the land of Jesus’ birth.Mindful of that, let’s not delude our-selves with the popular, politically correct fantasy that by ceding more andmore real estate to Muslim terroristswe are purchasing peace for the peopleof the Middle East. It may sound goodin theory, but is not borne out in practice.

JANUARY 2008 P.O. BOX 12268 • DALLAS, TX 75225-0268 • (214) 696-8844 • WWW.LEVITT.COM 3

WHAT A WORLD!

UK Think TankDowngradesChristmas By James Chapman, www.DailyMail.co.uk

Christmas should be downgraded infavor of festivals from other religionsto improve race relations, says anexplosive report. The Labor Party’sfavorite think-tank says that because itwould be hard to “expunge” Christmasfrom the national calendar, “evenhand-edness” means public organizationsmust start giving other religions equalfooting.

The report robustly defends multi-culturalism—the idea that differentcommunities should not be forced tointegrate but should be allowed tomaintain their own culture and iden-tities. And it says immigrants shouldbe required to acquire some proficiencyin English and other aspects of Britishculture “if—but only if—the settledpopulation is willing to open upnational institutions and practices to newcomers and give a more inclusive cast to national narrativesand symbols.”

It adds:

“We can no longer define ourselves asa Christian nation, nor an especiallyreligious one in any sense. The empireis gone, church attendance is at histor-ically low levels in England, and theSecond World War is inexorably slippingfrom memory.” The presence of bishopsin the House of Lords, for instance, iscondemned as an “anachronism” thatshould be removed.

Sayeeda Warsi, the Conservative Party’sspokesman on community cohesion,said: “Their comments betray a breath-taking misunderstanding of what it isto be British. These proposals couldactually damage cohesion. You don’tbuild community cohesion by throwingout our history and denying the funda-mental contribution Christianity hasplayed and does play to our nation. As a British Muslim I can see that—sowhy others can’t just staggers me. Thethought of (prime minister) GordonBrown sharing responsibility with mefor bringing up my children sends ashiver down my spine. I thought wegot rid of communism?”


SHALOM FROM SANDRA LEVITT

“And they gathered there to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon”Revelation 16:16

Greetings and Shalom(peace) from Israel. Each time we bring a tour to the Holy Land, my greatest joy is watching the pilgrims’ love of theLord and Israel come alive when theyvisit their spiritual home. They canand will make a difference. I alwayssay that Texas is where I live, butIsrael is my home.

On each tour I like to ask the pilgrimsabout their favorite site in Israel. They often talk about the Mount ofBeatitudes, Galilee, Golan, Masada,Jerusalem, the Garden Tomb, and theDavid and Goliath battlefield. Morerecently, I hear about the 4,000-year-old site of Megiddo. I think we all havethe End Times on our minds, and thelast and final battle will be fought atMegiddo.

When we first approach Tel Megiddo,it looks like a big pile of rocks or alarge mountain with gouges in it. “Tel”is Hebrew for mountain, but under-neath lie layer upon layer of historyfrom past civilizations.

Archaeologists have discovered atleast 20 layers of cities, each built ontop of the previous one’s destruction.These layers include a 4,000-year-oldCanaanite temple, one of King Solo-mon’s stables for 500 horses, and anunderground water system built byKing Ahab 2,800 years ago.

We climb to the top of Tel Megiddo forthe view of the entire Jezreel Valley—the largest valley in Israel, measuring15 by 30 miles. It was the channel that connected the Dead Sea to theMediterranean. It was the ancientRoman Via Maris, the way of the sea.It was a trade route from Egypt toMesopotamia. Talk about a visual! Ican see almost all the way to the portof Haifa.

Megiddo has seen its share of wars. In609 B.C., the Egyptians defeated KingJosiah.—2 Kings 23:29. (These were notMuslim Arabs. The ancient Egyptianswere not Arabs, and Islam wouldn’t beinvented until the 7th century A.D.)When the British fought the Turks inWWI, Megiddo played a key role in theBritish victory, and their commander,General Edmund Allenby, gained thetitle of Viscount Allenby of Megiddo.Even Napoleon wrote that Megiddowould make an optimal battlefield.

I seem to be in Israel each time a peaceprocess is trotted out. I am comfortedin knowing that God is in control of theEnd Times, and not man. In 2007, Israelcelebrated the 40th year of Jerusalem’sreunification; 2008 will mark Israel’s60th year as a modern nation. Peace,Peace….

My prayer for all of us in 2008 is thatwe rediscover where real peace comesfrom and not overemphasize the NewYear’s resolutions that will be forgottenin a month. God is in control.

Make visiting Israel one resolution youkeep this year. And, please, pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Blessings,

For Holy LandTour info seepage 32.

ShalomFrom

Sandra


ON THE ZLM HOMEFRONT

Led To, and WorkingThrough, Zola LevittMinistriesBy Jerry Hodges, ZLM Broadcast Syndicator

During one week in 1986, I receivedletters from two ministries. The letterfrom Zola stated that all bills had beenpaid and his ministry was in goodfinancial condition. He advised hissupporters that sacrificial giving wasunnecessary. The letter from a secondministry implored readers to give asmuch as possible—quickly! Broad-casters, it explained, were about todrop their TV program. This four-pageletter had double underlines, high-lights, and supposedly personal notesprinted in blue along the margins.

God made an impression on me thatweek, and my wife and I quit con-tributing to all television ministries—except for Zola’s. I had no idea that 20years later I would be negotiating television airtime contracts for ZolaLevitt Presents. My lengthy historywith the ministry influences the recommendations I make.

I prayed long over the huge commit-ment the ministry made in 2003 tobegin broadcasting on ION (thencalled PAX). God used this decision tostrengthen our outreach for when,two years later, TBN, our primarybroadcast network, dropped us. TheION network’s Thursday morningbroadcasts became the new backboneof our television ministry. God alsoled us to a Friday afternoon time onDaystar, a rapidly expanding network.I strive to approach each new airtimecontract with careful prayer and ministerial discernment. We recentlyadded the God’s Learning Channelnetwork on Sunday evenings at therequest of many.

In 2003, Berg Productions beganshooting all our television footage in High Definition— without extracharge to the ministry. ABC Family

will begin airing our programs in HDin February 2008, and ION will followsuit later in the year.

Jeff and Sandra had a desire to takeZola Levitt Presents globally to viewerswith no other way to receive this typeof teaching. We realized there would beno financial support from regions inEurope, the Middle East, and the SovietUnion—that we were embarking on aministry outreach that would involvepurely red ink. After prayerful consid-eration, we initiated broadcasting onGOD TV, the largest internationalChristian broadcaster. Their telecastsreach Europe, Africa, New Zealand,and Asia. Beginning in January, theRussian Broadcasting Network willcarry Zola Levitt Presents, translatedinto Russian.

Driving our message into the heart ofIslamic expansion, we bring the Lightof Jesus into spiritual darkness. Onlyyour loving gifts make this possible.For as long as you support our efforts,we will do our best to steward eachdollar wisely.

This is a formidable challenge for us,just as expanding onto ION (PAX) wasfour years ago. Please ask your friendsto get on board with our ministry. Ifeach supporter adds just one moresupporter to our family, we can main-tain our new frontiers and possiblyexpand farther.


CLASSIC ZOLA

A NOTE FROM ZOLADecember 1991 Levitt Letter

Thank you from the bottom of myheart for your generous support. I amalways conscious of the fact that thisministry belongs to its donors andthat it is our privilege to work for theKing and for you. I am sincerelygrateful for all you have done for us.

Your giving testifies to the fact that yousupport Believers bringing you thetruth. You can count on us to bringyou the straight story as we see it andnot influenced by sponsors or networkswith an ax to grind. We are not antianything, except the devil. We have nosoap to sell and we observe the dictumof our Lord, “everyone that is of thetruth heareth my voice” (John 18:37).

On the crucial subject of Israel, youknow that with us you are getting themost accurate and fair coverage of thatcomplex nation by people who knowthe place and travel there often.Television is the prime way to get theGospel out quickly and to a greatnumber of people. Too much going onaround us suggests the coming of thetribulation period and the transitionto the thousand-year Kingdom.

I now come to the part of my ministryI like the least, and that is asking youfor your continued support. I have

always thought of myself more as a soldier than a beggar and I merely ask you, as those who are willing to field an army in this battle of “principalities and powers,” to send along the needed supplies. Romans 10:14-15, to which we often refer, asks, “How shall they preach except they be sent?”

The fact is, we do what we’re supposedto do. We have very low reserves and noprofit whatsoever. When the IRS mancame riding up to search for our profits,I told him, “I thought non-profit organi-zations were not supposed to haveprofits.” That was a new one on him!

In this ministry we don’t ask for yoursupport for ourselves. The support yougive us determines how many programswe can make and, therefore, how muchministry we can accomplish for you. Itescapes some Believers that the accom-plishments of a ministry they supportare reckoned to their account, not tothe ministry’s. Paul made this clearwhen he commended the MacedonianChurch for their support and told themhe coveted it because he desired moreministry for them:

For even in Thessalonica ye sent onceand again unto my necessity. Notbecause I desire a gift; but I desire fruitthat may abound to your account. —Phil. 4:16, 17


CLASSIC ZOLA continued

The end of the year is when youreceive the biggest advantage for yourtax deduction. Many of our majorsupporters give their most substantialgifts right at the end of the year andthus they earn the most interest ontheir funds throughout the year, butstill get the tax deduction for the wholeyear. The coming year promises to bea year of still more prophecy develop-ments, clashes of “nation againstnation and kingdom against kingdom,”and, unfortunately, more “wars andrumors of wars.” I would deeplyappreciate it if you could provide usthe budget to be ready for these criti-cally important events which deeplyaffect the spiritual position of virtuallyeveryone in America.

Thanks for all you’ve done. Godknows your good works. Never forgetthat there will be a night when He willcome for us and “Look up, for yourredemption draweth nigh!”

A NOTE FROM MARK

What I love most about Zola’swriting is that I hear his voicewhen reading it. He spoke from thebottom of his heart and taught straightfrom the Bible. Fortunately this minis-try’s teaching via televisions remainsthe same since Zola’s passing—andsince day one, for that matter—bibli-cally accurate and fair.

Senator Charles Grassley, on behalf of the Senate Finance Committee, is

investigating six major ministriesabout their expenses, compensation,Rolls Royces, and private jets. Contraryto us, most of them teach the “prosper-ity gospel,” (i.e., that God blesses faith-ful believers with material wealth). Inaddition, because they were foundedas churches, they don’t file tax returnswith the IRS. They also opt not to sub-mit financial information to CharityNavigator, which rates the efficiency ofnon-profit organizations.

We do file tax returns with the IRS, whichaudited our outreach again since Zolawrote the article above. They again gaveus a clean bill of health (for details, seethe “State of the Ministry” article in theDecember 2002 Levitt Letter, archivedat www.levitt.com. We also furnish taxreturns and independently-auditedfinancial statements to Charity Navigator.For the last three years in a row, CharityNavigator gave us four stars, their toprating for efficient financial stewardship.Only 0.61% (that’s zero-point-six-one—less than one percent) of our revenuegoes to fundraising and only 11% toadministration, including our rentedbasement suite and our ’97 station wagon.

To the glory of God, we run a tight shipand deliver first-rate Bible teachingwhere it does the most good. Prisonersand senior citizens, who are unable tocontribute more than prayer, routinelythank us (well you, actually) for bearingtheir share of our burden. Thanks forcontinuing to be yoked with us in thismighty work for the Lord.


DeSeiferingOur WorldBy Dr. Jeffrey Seif

DESEIF ERING OUR WORLD

He dispatched his official courier tothe Philadelphia synagogue whereRabbi Gersom Mendes Seixas was conducting the service. As instructed,the courier brazenly disregarded theday’s importance, entered the syna-gogue, and interrupted the service togive Salomon the following note:

My Dear Mr. Salomon,

The terrible emergency of the momentnecessitates my turning to you at thishour. The office of finance has beenunable to procure sufficient funds tocover the enclosed notes… I must begof you to act immediately with whatev-er resources you have to satisfy ourdistress. —Robert Morris

Haym Salomon requested permissionto speak to the synagogue. On a dayand place where Jews are to forget

I’d like to share with you one of the most incredible stories I have ever heard—all true and without exaggera-tion. It is the sort of story on which movies are based, andstanding at such an important time in history as this, I trust that you’ll beblessed by it.

In downtown Chicago—where I oncelived—stands a dignified statue ofGeneral George Washington, flankedby a notorious anti-Semite namedRobert Morris and a benevolent Jewishphilanthropist named Haym Salomon.The Force that drew these oppositestogether is worth considering.

In his book, Life of George Washington,Washington Irving noted that “Congresscommenced the war [with Britain]without adequate funds and withoutthe power of imposing direct taxes. Tomeet the pressing emergencies, it hademitted paper money… [which was]irredeemable and of no intrinsic value.”America was broke from the start, andas the war dragged on, Washingtonpersonally felt the pinch. Officers hadbeen promised $3.00 per month andenlisted men, 20 cents. To cover this,worthless paper money was circulated.But money that wasn’t worth thepaper it was printed on sank morale:desertions became commonplace inthe volunteer army.

Robert Morris was known as theFinancier of the Revolution becauseof his role in securing financial assis-tance for the patriot cause. Over andover again, broker Haym Salomonoffered to help, but Morris would havenone of his Jewish money. Morristhought it beneath him to solicit helpfrom someone he referred to as “thelittle Jew” and “Jew broker.” Neverthe-less, pressed by others to make goodon accounts, he eventually leaned onSalomon.

Being prejudiced and insensitive,Morris appealed to Salomon on theJewish high holiday of Yom Kippur.


DESEIF ERING OUR WORLD continued

business, he went to the podium andasked the Jews assembled there torise to the occasion and attend to thebusiness at hand—saving America.Within fifteen minutes, he raised$20,000—and the rest is history.

Time and time again afterward,Salomon dug deep. The archives ofthe Library of Congress report thatSalomon arranged financing but“turned over all the commission heearned. He also pledgedhis personal fortune to the Bank of NorthAmerica… [personally]paid the salaries ofJames Madison and atleast two other futurepresidents, underwrotemost of the expenses of Lafayette’sarmy… and neither he nor his heirsever collected a dime of what was duehim from the government.” He gaveto the grave.

Dr. Albert Bushnell Hart, professoremeritus at Harvard University, saidof him: “It looks as though his creditwas better than that of the whole thirteen united states.” Apparentlyhis credit was stronger than his health.Weakened by tuberculosis that hecontracted while incarcerated in aBritish prison, Salomon eventuallysuccumbed to complications at age45 on January 6, 1785. He died pen-niless, having given his entire fortune to the war effort.

In honor of this Jewish philanthropist’smemory, for America’s Bicentennial the U.S. Postal Service printed a commem-orative stamp which read: “Haym Salo-mon: Financial Hero” on the front, and on the sticky side: “Financial Hero: Business-man and broker Haym Salomon

was responsible for raising most of themoney needed to finance the AmericanRevolution and later to save the newnation from collapse.” Stamps are rarelyprinted on the back. Hopeful, however,that his memory might stick, the postalservice did us all a service by commendinghim this way.

The Encyclopedia Britannica says hewas a “U.S. patriot who was the princi-pal financier of the fledgling American

republic… He subscribedheavily to governmentloans, endorsed notes,gave generously to soldiers,and equipped severalmilitary units with hisown money… In addition,he made private loans to

prominent statesmen James Madison,Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe.”

The sources tell us that, over and again,he used his personal resources and in-fluence to assist the cause. In additionto loans he arranged from other sources,Salomon gave approximately $800,000in 1784 dollars of his own fortune.America never repaid its debt to him. Ifone takes that figure and adds interestover the last two-hundred-plus years,America owes his family $2.5 trillion.

America cannot repay that debt. How-ever, with Dr. David Allen Lewis—whowrote Forgotten Patriot: The Story ofHaym Salomon—I believe that Americashould at least remember it and considerits implications, especially now that Salo-mon’s Jewish people are fighting a battleroyal on the other side of the Atlantic.

Will

Kin

g


OUR MAN IN JERUSALEM

Then and Now, A Landof Milk and HoneyBy Will King, www.imagesofisrael.com

Archaeologists working at the site ofTel Rehov near Bet Shean have unearthedproof that Israel was a “land flowingwith milk and honey,” or at least withhoney. Excavators found theremains of three rows of bee-hives, estimated to have heldaround 100 total hives, duringthis season’s dig sponsored by the Hebrew University ofJerusalem. The beehives are the first of their kind found inall of Israel.

According to a Hebrew University pressrelease, each row contained at leastthree tiers of hives, each of which is acylinder composed of unbaked clayand dry straw, around 31 inches longand 16 inches in diameter. One end of the cylinder was closed and had asmall hole in it, which allowed thebees to enter and exit. The oppositeend was covered with a clay lid thatcould be removed when the beekeeperextracted the honeycombs. Experiencedbeekeepers and scholars who visitedthe site estimated that as much ashalf a ton of honey could be culledeach year from these hives.

Additionally, various experts found andare studying the remains of severalbees, honeycombs, and beeswax.Carbon-14 dating of the hives’ remain-ing organic materials places them (andTel Rehov) between the mid-9th andmid-10th centuries B.C.— around theend of the reign of King Solomon,

confirming the site’s importance duringthe Israelite kingdom.

The term “honey” appears 55 times inthe Bible, 16 in the description of Israelas “the land of milk and honey.” Manybelieve that the term refers to honeyproduced from fruits such as dates andfigs. Bees’ honey is mentioned explicitlyonly twice and relates to wild bees. Thefirst instance describes how Samsonculled bees’ honey from inside the

corpse of the lion in the Soreq Valley(Judges 14:8-9). The second occurs inthe story of Jonathan, King Saul’s son,who dipped his hand into a honey-comb during the battle of Mikhmash (1 Samuel 14:27).

While the Bible tells us nothing aboutbeekeeping in Israel at that time, thediscovery of the apiary at Tel Rehovindicates that beekeeping and theextraction of bees’ honey and honey-comb was a highly developed industryas early as the First Temple period.Thus, it is possible that the term

“honey” in the Bibleindeed pertains tobees’ honey.

In Israel today anestimated 90,000 beehives producesome 3,600 tons ofhoney annually.Additionally, Israeli

dairy cows are the most productive inthe world, averaging 25,432 pounds ofmilk per cow per year, compared to just18,747 pounds from cows in America.Whether in the time of Kings or PrimeMinisters, when Jews are in theirhomeland, Israel really is a “land ofmilk and honey.”


GOOD NEWS.. .

life, yet they were ruining their testimonythrough hatred and anti-Semitism.

“Later on the Ukraine changed whenthe Soviet Union fell. Life was difficult,people were hungry and without work,so I started to think about Israel until thepoint when I made a decision to come.

“I have been in Israel for 11 years. Myhusband didn’t want to come, so I wasalone with my three children, but I feltI was home in Israel.

“When I came, I wasn’t looking for myJewish identity; I was looking for a home.But when I became a Believer in Jesus,I had a new identity: I was Jewish andproud of it, and also a Believer in myJewish Lord and Savior.

“In the past I had said that Christiansare the worst people in the world andnow I am one. I think God has a veryfunny sense of humor.

“Many Jews think that when you becomea Believer in Jesus you are leaving yourJewish identity, but I felt I was becominga fulfilled Jew. My identity is in Him.

“My prayer is that the Israelis wouldcome to know Jesus as their Savior, andthat the plans for the Jewish nationwould be fulfilled because Jesus iscoming again to this land.”

We are finalizing a broadcast arrange-ment with a major network in the for-mer USSR, which means our programswill be formatted for, and distributedto, a Russian-speaking audiencethroughout the former Soviet republic.Please pray that the Lord enables us toreach a harvest in 2008 amongst Jewsand non-Jews in the former USSR. —Jeff

God’s “Funny Senseof Humor”By Paul Calvert, www.CrossRhythms.co.uk

“Fear not, for I am with you; I willbring you offspring from the east, andfrom the west I will gather you, I willsay to the north, give up, and to thesouth, do not withhold; bring my sonsfrom afar and my daughters from theends of the earth.” Isaiah 43:5-6

God is fulfilling Old Testamentprophecy. Lena Greshko, originallyfrom the Ukraine, tells why shemoved to Israel:

“I loved my grandmother, who wasOrthodox Jewish. She died when Iwas 10. Every week she would go tothe synagogue, reading the JewishBible. She was the kindest and nicestperson I ever knew.

“I remember one Passover she wascrying because she wanted to go toJerusalem, but it just wasn’t possible;so I knew about Jerusalem from avery early age.

“When I was a child I lived in a veryJewish area. The Jews there wereashamed and tried to cover theirJewish background. But many Jewswere very wealthy—they had good jobsand had a good life; I don’t rememberhaving any difficulties there.

“Then I met my husband. He was anOrthodox Ukrainian. I got baptized inthat church because I wanted to marryhim. I also became a singer in thechurch, but the roots of anti-Semitismran deep. The Christians really didhate me. It was very open; they triedeverything to get me out of the church.

“After 2 or 3 years they succeeded andI left, saying never again will I haveanything to do with Christians; theywere the worst people in the world.

“Looking back, I was really sad to seethat the Christians had the answer to

Lena’s son (on the right) with friends.


. . .BAD NEWS.. .

Slain ChristmasAngelThe United Methodist Church is thekind of politically active place whereparishioners take to the pulpit to discuss poverty in El Salvador andrefugees living in Meriden. But fewissues engage its passions as much asthe death penalty. Church-sponsoredadult education classes promoterehabilitation over punishment.

The Methodist congregation inCheshire, Connecticut, has beenlargely quiet, however, in the wake ofthe murder of some of its own: thevictims were popular and activemembers of the church—JenniferHawke-Petit, 48, and her two daughters,Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11. LastJuly, two men broke into the family’shome. Mrs. Hawke-Petit was strangledand her daughters died in a fire thatpolice say was set by the intruders.

The killings have spurred debateabout how the church should respondto the crime and whether it shouldpublicly oppose the punishment thatmay follow. “It’d be dishonoring toher life to do anything violent in hername,” said Carolyn Hardin Engel-hardt, a church member who is thedirector of the ministry resourcecenter at Yale Divinity School Library.“That’s not the kind of person she was.”

The surviving husband, William Petit,a physician, supports capital punish-ment and is said to be “strongly in favorof executing these guys, once they’refound guilty,” despite objections fromwithin the church. The killings haveeven caused some congregants toreconsider their personal views.

The slain Mrs. Hawke-Petit taughtSunday school. Her daughter Michaelaplayed the flute and sang in the church;Hayley learned how to wield a drillwhile doing home improvements forthe disabled with the church’s summer

teen brigade. The Petits participated in the church’s annual Living Nativitypageant, posing as human statues inthe parking lot for 20-minute shifts insupport of local charities. Mrs. Hawke-Petit often played Mary or a shepherdess.

They, of course, didn’t participate thisChristmas. In considering this sense-less tragedy, I’m struck by how manyChristians believe that bringing capitaljudgment to the murderers of thesewomen is, itself, “violent” and incon-gruous with Christian faith and virtue.

While there is something Christianabout taking up for the perpetrators,the Bible gives credence to the state’sjudging the guilty (Rom. 13:1-7, esp. v.4). As a minister, I would visit thesewomen’s murderers on “death row,”encourage their repentance and informthem of God’s forgiveness. I would walkwith them to the electric chair, andassure them that they’ll meet a graciousGod on the other side of the grave,assuming they have made peace withHim on this side. This is simple to me.But the United Methodist Church inNew England doesn’t see it this way.

In like manner, it sides with Islamicterrorists in the Middle East and optsfor the castigation of the Jews there. TheUMC readily aids rapists, murderers,and terrorists, and abandons victims. If we are ever going to have peace onEarth, men and women will need toboldly stand up, speak up, and struggleagainst the darkness when called upon.Anything less is an insult to commonsense and Christian virtue—not tomention a disservice to the oppressed.— Jeff

By Alison Leigh Cowan,www.NYTimes.com

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. . .GOOD NEWS.. .

Sunni Violence inBaghdad “Disrupted”By Joshua Partlow and Amit R. Paley,Washington Post ForeignService

The top U.S. commanderin Iraq, Gen. David H.Petraeus, said that theSunni insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq has beendisrupted and no longer operates inlarge numbers in any neighborhoodof the capital.

“In general, we think that there are noal-Qaeda strongholds at this point,”General Petraeus said. He added: “Theyremain very lethal, very dangerous,capable at any point in time, if you will,of coming back off the canvas andlanding a big punch, and we have tobe aware of that.” Petraeus, speakingto reporters during a trip to thesouthern outskirts of the capital,attributed the reduction of violencein part to military operations outsidethe capital targeting areas where carbombs and other explosives are manufactured, before they can bedeployed in Baghdad. He said one ofthe last remaining al-Qaeda in Iraqstrongholds in Baghdad had been thesoutheastern section of Dora, a pre-dominantly Sunni neighborhood inthe southern part of the city, but aftermilitary operations over the past twoweeks, “that was reduced, certainly.”

Great report! Let’s pray that many morelocals take up the struggle to free theircountry from oppression and, while atit, let’s thank God that the sentimentsof some in the United Methodist Churchin New England (see previous story)don’t prevail in Iraq—at least not yet.Some would no doubt be predisposedto take up the cause and underscorethe alleged injustices perpetrated uponthe terrorists by those mean-spiritedfreedom fighters. — Jeff

“Butch Cassidy” Helps Sick Kidswww.jta.org

Paul Newman is openingone of his Hole in the Wallcamps for ill children inIsrael.

The Jordan River Village camp will bethe latest in the network of camps theactor and philanthropist started in1988. The camp is to open by October2008, according to an announcementreleased after a New York City fundraiserfor the camp. Other camps have beenfounded in the United States, Ireland,Britain, and France.

Newman helps raise money for thecamps, which seriously ill childrenattend for free, through his lines offood products. Haim Topol, the Israeliactor, is chairman of the board of theJordan River Village camp.

Someone needs to tell the reverends thatwell-wishing isn’t enough. Society needsbiblical answers to its assorted hurts!


. . .BAD NEWS

Holy LandFoundationMistrialwww.adl.org

In a major terrorism case, a federal juryin Dallas failed to come to a unanimousdecision on most counts on the HolyLand Foundation for Relief and Devel-opment (HLF) terrorism-financingtrial.

The federal government accused HLF,a Richardson, Texas-based Muslimcharity and five organizers, of funnel-ing over $12 million to individualsand organizations linked to Hamas,designated a U.S. foreign terroristorganization in 1995. After 19 days ofdeliberation, the jury returned a ver-dict in October, 2007, and the judgedeclared a mistrial because the jurywas deadlocked on most counts.

The government has alleged that HLFand its top leaders conspired to provideaid to a terrorist organization and thefamilies of suicide terrorists. The indict-ment also charged that HLF providedmore than $12.4 million to individualsand organizations linked to Hamasbetween 1995 and 2001. The groupallegedly raised a total of $57 millionsince its incorporation in 1992 butonly reported $36.2 million to the IRS,according to the indictment.

During the three-month trial, the government introduced hundreds ofdocuments into evidence and calledten witnesses, including a secret agentfor the Israel Defense Forces, whoreportedly testified that HLF supportedcharities controlled by Hamas. Thedefense called five witnesses to court,including Edward Abington, formerU.S. consul general in Jerusalem andState Department intelligence officer.

On one occasion, after the jury andjudge left the courtroom for a break, a defendant yelled, “This trial is anextension of a Zionist conspiracy.”

After the judge declared a mistrial, thehead of Hungry for Justice (HFJ) coalitiondeclared that “this was an Israeli trialtried on American soil” and issued a pressrelease stating, “The charges broughtagainst these individuals were viewed bymany people in this country and world-wide as an attempt to block humanitar-ian assistance to Palestinians sufferingunder a brutal Israeli occupation.”

In December, 2001, President Bushannounced that the FBI and the TreasuryDepartment had moved to seize theassets of the HLF. The action was said tobe a part of the administration’s policydesigned to choke off financial supportin the war on global terrorism.

The Justice Department has said that itwill retry the case on deadlocked counts.

Dallas Morning News editorial:

Dozing in Dallas

There are times when one takes consolation from Winston Churchill’sobservation that democracy is theworst system in the world, except forall the others. Contemplating the HolyLand Foundation jury’s deliberations—in light of post-trial revelations—is oneof those times. Take, for instance, theunidentified juror we’ll call Sleepy. She dozed off during testimony and,according to a fellow juror, spent muchof the 19 days of deliberation dozing,snacking, and wailing when proddedto take her task seriously. Justice is sup-posed to be blind, not lazy and dumb.

Living in Dallas, I had the opportunityto watch and read about this trial daily,and the injustice saddened me. Maywe never forget that God is in controland we are fighting a spiritual battle.—Sandra


FEATURE ITEM

The Stones Cry Out DVD and TranscriptIn recent decades, many marvelous, new archaeological discov-eries have greatly illuminated and validated the biblical record. Zola Levitt, Thomas McCall, and the production crew of Zola Levitt Presents journeyed to Israel and Jordan to film the archaeologicalsites and interview the experts. We found, just as our Lord said about this remarkable Land, that indeed The Stones Cry Out. Twelve 30-minute TV programs. Offered on page 16.

The Tunnel. Zola takes a tour through the Hasmonean tunnel that runs along the outside of the Western Wall of the Temple Mount. From Jeru-salem we get a journalist’s perspective on the Palestinian uproar that occurred in September 1996 when the tunnel was opened to the public.

A Tale of Two Temples. A recently unearthed marketplace provides clear visual evidence of theRoman destruction of the Temple and its surrounding walls. We travel north to Mount Gerizim toview the excavation of a Samaritan temple that was patterned after the great Temple in Jerusalem.

Rulers in Stone. Many first-century finds are being unearthed at Caesarea, an ancient city on theMediterranean coast. The first extra-biblical reference to Pontius Pilate was found there, as well as a full-size Temple replica. At Tel Dan in northern Israel, the “House of David” has been confirmedarchaeologically. We also discover there an altar complete with metal incense shovels.

The Jerusalem That Was. At the Bible Lands Museum, we find a model of Jerusalem as it wouldhave looked in 586 B.C. In the historic City of David, we examine the architecture of a four-roomhouse, typical living quarters of the ancient Israelites.

Past and Future Destruction. Ongoing excavations at Hazor have unearthed various artifacts, including idols from the time of the Canaanites, and evidence that confirms the burning of the cityrecorded in Joshua 11. We examine not only the prophetic significance of the Valley of Armageddon,but also the archaeological discoveries at Megiddo.

Archaeology and the Scriptures. In Jerusalem, Zola explains the history of events at the Citadel,which is also called “David’s Tower.” We discuss archaeology’s role in illuminating Scripture, andhear from a spokesman with the Israeli Antiquities Authority.

Cities of the Past. In New Testament times, Zippori was a thriving cultural center in Galilee thatprobably influenced Jesus as a boy growing up in Nazareth. Going back to Old Testament times, wetravel to the precise location of Ekron, one of five prominent cities of the ancient Philistines.

Shadows from the Past. Just over a hundred yards from the GardenTomb is another chamber of tombs that authentically date from the timeof the first Temple. These tombs help us understand the burial customsof that day. We visit Qumran near the Dead Sea, and the cave where thefirst Dead Sea Scroll was found.

A Tale of Three Cities. In biblical times, a business relationship existedbetween three cities located in the Jordan Valley: Beit Shean, Rechov(west of the Jordan River), and Pella (east of the Jordan River). Today,these sites are in different stages of excavation. We visit each one toexamine the significant finds and establish the cities’ interrelationship.

The Rose Red City. The ancient Nabataeans were famous for their skill in rock carving. We travel toPetra, their capital, situated southeast of the Dead Sea in the modern kingdom of Jordan. This “rosered” city is known around the world for its magnificent buildings carved into the native rock.

A Man Crucified. The Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem proudly displays a man’s heel bone that hasbeen pierced by a nail. It is the first archaeological proof of Roman crucifixions in Israel.

Truth from the Stones. Zola discusses how the archaeological artifacts shown throughout this seriesilluminate Scripture, and how Believers can be encouraged when “The Stones Cry Out.”

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ZLM Bulletin Board

Zola’s Tours toIsrael:

See page 32 for details

“Come Home!”

Prepare to Be Disappointed…...if you visit our headquarters. Our ministry’s “HQ” isn’t much.No grand fountains, modern art, or palatial accommodations. It’sessentially a rented, 3,500-s.f. basement space filled with abouta dozen desks, some good office equipment, lots of Bible teachingmaterials in a sizablewarehouse/shipping area,and casually dressed,very willing workers forour Lord. Hiring outsidevendors for our printing,mailing, tape duplication,etc. has allowed us tostay small. When theRapture comes, we won’tleave much behind.

Are You Anti-Semitic?Anti-Semitism may existnow more than ever in

implicit rather than overtform. The various tests at

https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/use symbols associated with

race, age, gender, religion,and more to analyze the

extent to which subjects areprejudiced. The Religion IAT

(Implicit Association Test)contrasts symbols from

Judaism with those of sever-al other religions. Subjectsrapidly indicate which sym-bols relate to Judaism and,in a later phase, test their

word association. This is asecular test, and the results

have surprised many. Toread an article about it, visit

www.levitt.com/news.

Worldwide Terrorism Watch For a perpetually updated global display of

terrorism and suspicious events, visitwww.globalincidentmap.com

and choose between types of events, dates/times of occurrences, and cities/countries.

“Surprising” describes its ongoing stream ofround-the-clock bulletins on incidents

involving aviation, arson, assassinations,bombings, chemical attacks, shootings,

arrests, and the list goes on. Consider it areal-time fulfillment of Matt. 24:6:“Ye shall

hear of wars and rumors of wars.”

5 New Television StationsOur ministry recently began broadcastingon a small, yet popular network of full-power independent television stationsknown as God’s Learning Channel. OnSunday evenings at 7:30, you can see us inthe following cities:

Odessa, TX KMLM-42Snyder, TX KPCP-17Lubbock, TX KPTB-16Farwell, TX KPTF-18Roswell, NM KRPV-27

Please see page 30 for a brief list of ourmajor television networks. You can see our full national television schedule atwww.levitt.com or request a free hardcopyby contacting our office.

The Promised Child and Son By John J. Parsons

HebrewLesson

During the days of the divided kingdom, faithless King Ahaz of Judah fearfully anticipated aninvasion by Syria and Israel (Isa. 7:1-2). Isaiah reaffirmed that David’s kingdom would indeed beestablished forever and even gave the doubting king a sign: A virgin will bear a son and call him“God with us” (Isa. 7:14).

Later Isaiah foresaw the Assyrian invasion of Israel in 722 BC but again affirmed the promises ofGod given to David. Despite the present darkness, “unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given,and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peacethere will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold itwith justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD ofhosts will do this” (Isa. 9:6-7).

Now many Jewish commentators consider the promised child as Hezekiah, the successor to Ahazand Messianic hope of Israel at the time. They believe this because the verbs (yulad and nitan) arein the perfect tense (suggesting completed action). However, it should be noted that the perfecttense is likewise used in Isaiah 5:13, which states that Israel had already gone into galut (exile)when it was clear this hadn’t occurred yet. Regardless, the hope that one of David’s descendantswould establish the kingdom of God upon the earth is a recurring theme in Isaiah, and Hezekiah’sbirth signified God’s presence with Israel during a precarious time in Jewish history.

But notice that the language of Isaiah 9:6-7 refers to the ideal King of Israel (i.e., the Messianichope) in terms that can be read as God’s Presence embodied on earth. The four terms used todescribe this King (v6) clearly transcend the historical person of King Hezekiah. For example, theword pele in pele yo’etz (wonderful counselor) is used in Judges 13:18 regarding the name of theAngel of the LORD (who in verse 22 is identified as God). El Gibbor (Mighty God) is clearly a titlefor the Holy One of Israel (Isa. 10:20-21; Psalm 24:8). Avi’ad (Father of eternity) refers to God asAvinu Malkenu (see Isaiah 63:16, 1 Chron. 29:10; Psalm 68:5; Mal. 2:10). And as for Sar Shalom(Prince of Peace), both the Talmud and Scripture refer to “the Name of God as Peace” (Shab. 10b,Judges 6:24). It is clear, therefore, that these terms are designations for the LORD God of Israeland not merely that of a human being.

Now while Jesus is indeed the ultimate fulfillment of the verse, there remains an eschatologicaldimension: He is not currently ruling and reigning as Israel’s King on David’s throne, since that willoccur after His Second Coming during the Millennial Kingdom. Perhaps that is why the verse says, 1) “unto us a child is born” (theFirst Advent), and 2) “unto us a son is given” (the Second Advent). At the end of days, when the Christ returns as Israel’s King, the Jewish people will comprehend the full meaning of these verses and then “all Israel shall be saved” (Rom. 11:26).



SELECT

BRIEFSThe “Big LieTechnique”By Mike Seid, www.JPost.com

In an interview with InJerusalem for a cover storyon how religious leadersview the capital, the formermufti of Jerusalem, IkremaSabri, has claimed thatthere never was a Jewishtemple on the TempleMount, and that theWestern Wall was really part of a mosque.

“There was never a Jewishtemple on Al-Aksa [the mosque compound] and there is no proof that there was ever a temple,” he said.“Because Allah is fair, he would notagree to make Al-Aksa if there were atemple there for others beforehand.There is not a single stone with anyrelation at all to the history of theHebrews.”

Israeli Citizens SueWaqf Over TempleMount DestructionBiblical Archaeological Society

A group of 150 Israeli citizens, whorepresent a broad cross section of the Israeli public, have initiated anunprecedented criminal prosecutionof Waqf (Islamic Trust) leaders inJerusalem, alleging that they haveengaged in the deliberate destructionof ancient Jewish relics on the Temple Mount.The indictment was filedutilizing a seldom appliedsection of the criminalcode. If convicted, theWaqf officials may faceyears in prison.

In recent months theWaqf has brought inbulldozers and heavy digging equipment tocarry out “renovations”.

U.S. Torture Tactics

Israeli archaeologists who have siftedthrough the discardedearth were shocked todiscover a great num-ber of Jewish artifactsbrutally trashed bythe bulldozers. A wallfrom the outer court-yard of the SecondTemple is believed tohave been completelypulverized.

The court paperscontend that the recent accelerateddestruction is part of a four-decade-long campaign by the Waqf to eradi-cate all evidence of the historicalJewish connection and claim to theTemple Mount.

Shurat HaDin (Israel Law Center)alleges that the Israeli government, inits political cowardice, has consistentlyrefused to undertake any concreteactions to stop the criminal activitiesof the Waqf, thus abandoning the millennia-long Jewish claim over theTemple Mount and allowing Islamicextremists to rewrite history inJerusalem.

HOSTILE HUGGING: (below)

Proof of abuse by U.S. troops —what the media missed.


SELECT BRIEFS continued

Muslims, ChristiansClash in EgyptBy Salah Nasrawi, Associated Press

Muslims and Coptic Christians clashedafter Friday prayers over a land dispute,leaving 20 injured, security officials said.Police arrested 50 people followingthe clash in Minya province, about 130miles south of Cairo, the officials said,speaking on condition of anonymitybecause they were not authorized totalk to the media.

The clashes began after prayers whenMuslim villagers in Izbat el-Abidprotested against the extension of amonastery in a nearby village, claimingthe construction was on state property.Police had to ask for reinforcementsfrom throughout the province tocontrol the clash, the officials added.Coptic Christians make up an estimat-ed 10 percent of Egypt’s 76.5 millionpeople. They generally live in peacewith the Muslim majority, thoughoccasional clashes occur.

Royal Mail Returns tothe Religious ThemeAfter Criticism fromthe Church of England

Christmas Stampsuk.Reuters.com

A selection of Christmas stamps showinga religious theme issued by the Royal Mail.

In 2006, the Royal Mail stamps were criticized for a lack of Christian illustrations.Religious groups said the 2006 stamps —depicting Santa, a snowman, a Christmastree, and reindeer — took the “Christ outof Christmas.”

Iraqi ChristianGranted AsylumAssociated Press

An Iraqi Christian who used migrantsmugglers to enter the United Statesafter escaping persecution in his homecountry has been granted political asylum and will be allowed to remain.The immigration judge, William Peter-son, granted a request from the man,Aamr Bahnan Boles, in Harlingen, Texas.Mr. Boles escaped from Iraq and madehis way through Mexico to the Texasborder near Brownsville where he wascaptured with two other young Iraqimen as they swam the Rio Grande inApril 2006. They claimed asylum ongrounds they were subjected to bru-tality and threats in Iraq because oftheir faith. Mr. Boles served six monthsin prison on a charge of illegal entrywhile the F.B.I. investigated his claim.In January 2007, he was released andhas been staying with a relative inSterling Heights, Michigan.

“Ten Commandments” ReturnsIt’s a movie about the Bible, but

family-friendly Disney Co. movedheaven and earth to make sure the

word “God” was stricken from someadvertisements promoting the recent animated film, The Ten

Commandments.


Some letters have been edited for space.

Comments from www.levitt.com Visitors

From C.B.—Thank you for bringing your Bad Moon Rising series to the public. I was a 20-year-old dependent American Air Force wife in Bavaria, Germany. I visited Dachau in1946 and was horrified to see blood stains still on the walls of the gas chamber.The ovens and the trenches where people were shot—all the terrible things theythought up to torment the innocent Jews. As a young sheltered girl, I didn’t knowhow cruel humans could be to other people. I am now 82 years old and muchwiser because of our precious Lord and Savior. Thank you for all you are doing.My prayers are with you for God’s guidance and love as you minister.

From D. and S. K.—Thank you for the Zola Levitt Presents programs online. We recently discoveredthat our CD burner program will burn MPeg4 files into DVD format. So now wecan watch ZLP on our bigger TV screen instead of on the computer monitor.That is nice in that we can’t get ZLP on our cable TV here in Western Canada.Blessings!

From Mr. and Mrs. S.—We are sending you our tithe, as we have received greatly from your ministry.We would like to support your ongoing efforts to “speak the truth in love” to theJew first, and then to the nations. Thank you for your bold stand against theenemies of God and His Chosen People. We would like to designate half of thisfor the “To The Jew First” fund. Grace and Peace.

From B. and J. J.—We just received our first magazine and could hardly put it down. I’m so glad tobe able to read the truth. Thank you so much.


LETTERS TO ZLM continued

Muslims: 397— Jews: 159

To the Editor:Speaking as both a physician and attorney, let me say that one problem infighting the Islamic goal to destroy all Western civilizations, especially theUnited States and Israel, is that we (the Western world) treat the Islamic terroristsas criminals from a law-abiding civilization and culture. Instead, we must treatthem as foreign combatants, without uniforms, from a civilization and culturethat is genocidal. When we change our thought paradigm we will attack, destroy,and change their schooling, media, culture, and religion. All these factors arecausative of the genocidal, primitive civilization known as Islam. By the way, thisyear Islam and Judaism’s holiest holidays overlapped for 10 days. During thistime, Muslims racked up 397 dead bodies in 94 terror attacks in 10 countries.Meanwhile, Jews worked on their 159th Nobel Prize.A.W.

Greetings Dr. A.W.—I wish we had people like you in office. —Jeffrey Seif

“Bad Moon Rising” Missing From My TV!

Dear ZLM,When Bad Moon Rising disappeared from my TV network after only two episodes,I assumed that ABC Family and the other DirecTV networks had succumbed topolitical correctness and pulled it. I was thrilled to find it on your website. Thisshould be prime-time television on all the networks and should be shown inschools all over the globe. Please keep this series available for purchase on yourwebsite and keep the archive available for viewing as long as you possibly can.Zola before and now Jeff and Sandra have produced many life-changing shows,but this series destroys Satan’s deceptions that ensnare so many. May His lightcontinue to shine through all of you!God bless you,B. G.

Dear B. G.—The broadcasters who opted to not air our Bad Moon Rising series were concerned that some of its Holocaust footage was too graphic for their viewers.The following letter asserts that it is, in fact, graphic. Fortunately, beyond ABCFamily Channel (with whom we remain friendly), no other networks or televisionstations have pre-empted the series. — Mark

(continued next page)

Venezuelan presidentHugo Chavez, whocalled President Bushthe “devil” at the UN in2006, was told bySpain’s King Juan Carlosto “shut up” during arecent Ibero-American summit. The king’s outburst has beendownloaded in Spain as ringtones andonto mugs and t-shirts. news.bbc.co.uk



Too Graphic To See Again

Dear Sandra and Jeff,I like what you are doing with Bad Moon Rising because being born in England,I’m familiar with it firsthand. I do not know any other way you can express itwithout showing it; but if you do show it, I will just have to leave the room—itis too much for me to see again. We have watched your programs for years and love them. Sincerely,D. W.

Dear D.W.—Jeff wanted this series to ensure that no one would ever forget the horrors doneto the Jewish people. The survivors of the Holocaust are dying off at an alarmingrate every year. If we do not tell their story often, who will? —Sandra

Why Is Israel Afraid to Be Israel?

Dear Jeff,The article in the November Levitt Letter, “Why Is Israel Afraid to Be Israel?,”was right on. Over and over in Scripture, God tells the Jews He has given theLand to them, and the Arabs have no part in Jerusalem or the Land. I agreewholeheartedly with the article. Why don’t the Jews wake up and realize Godwill fight for them if they will only call on Him? Thank you for blessing God’sChosen People, D. B.

Dear D. B.—Your asking “Why don’t Jews wake up?” reminds me of the imperative for thereneeding to be a preacher. Please pray for us that God would use our ministry toextend His grace to His people in these precarious times. — Jeffrey Seif

Band Uniform and Cigarette—Not Right

Dear Mark,Not having purchased bifocals yet, I sometimes have to take off my glasses toread, which I did while reading page 7 of the November 2007 Levitt Letter to geta closer look at the photograph of Zola in band uniform.

To me the cigarette seems placed and not part of the original photo. If this is thecase, I strongly urge you to make an editorial correction. Several news agencieshave staged photos about the conflict in the Middle East that portrayed thenation of Israel in a negative light. ZLM must perform at a higher standard.

QUOTE OF THE CENTURY?

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:

“I wanted to visit Ground Zero to prevent9/11 becoming another ‘false idol’ likethe Holocaust.” —Sept. 2007



If the cigarette is part of the original photo, please accept my apology. Note thatI am not stating that smoking is good. And I miss Zola too.Sincerely, S. F.

Dear S. F.—Rest assured that ZLM’s high standards remain intact. But your email took meback to fond memories of laughing on several occasions with Zola over anaccusation in the early ’90s that our television footage originated from NewMexico rather than the Holy Land. “If only our accuser could direct us to exactlywhere in New Mexico we could get such great shots of the Mount of Olives, etc.,”we mused, “then we wouldn’t have to travel so far and go to such expense!” Now,less gleefully, I say to you, “If only Zola hadn’t smoked all those years!” The ciga-rette probably looks out of place to you, as it would to most anyone, becauseZola was a handsome, clean-cut kid who hadn’t learned yet how to pose with acancer stick. No apology necessary. Good luck with those bifocals. —Mark

Arabic Broadcast Swimming Right Along

Jeff,Are you broadcasting in Arabic in Europe yet? My buddy likens your efforts tobring the Good News to others in their own languages to salmon trying to swimupstream—it’s possible, but a difficult task.J. S.

Dear J. S.—Yep. We’re broadcasting in Arabic and English, in Europe. As of this report, however, I must report that responses have been rather lackluster. Please prayfor the endeavor, as we’re excited by the prospect of our Arabic cousins comingto a saving faith in our common Messiah, Yeshua. —Jeffrey Seif

Can’t Handle The Truth!

Dear Jeffrey, Sandra, and Mark,I asked my associate pastor to read your newsletter and allow me to put someout for people to take. His reply in a note read, “I found it very interesting andalso found myself in agreement with much of it; however, it takes a strong standon hot-button issues and conveys a somewhat aggressive tone that doesn’t quitefit what we would make available to our congregation, especially visitors andguests. Thank you, though, for bringing them to my attention.”

I have to admit I was a little shocked, but mostly disappointed. I hope hisresponse was not a common one. A lot of people are missing out.With Love in Christ,M. Y.

Dear M. Y.—Fearing to be offensive is a trap that many well-intended ministersfall into. Absent gut-level, real-world engagement, faith communitiesare left with boring services, filled only with nice, poetic, syrupyrhetoric. It is little wonder that action-prone men, particularly, often complainof finding church boring. It wouldn’t be that way if men stood up from behindthe pulpit instead of hiding behind it. — Jeffrey Seif


THE TAKEOVER CONTINUES

Eid Of Green www.FOXnews.com

The Empire State Building was aglowin green in mid-October to honor theMuslim holiday that marks the end ofRamadan.

The 102-story building routinelylights up its famous spire to honoreverything from traditional holidaysto sporting events to notable charitiesto “the myriad ethnic groups living inthe New York City area,” according tothe building’s website.

The Empire State Building’s tower wasfirst lit up in colors in July, 1976, whenred, white and blue were used in cele-bration of the American Bicentennial.A new lighting system that allows awider range of colors was inaugurat-ed the following year, when blue andwhite lights flashed to announce theNew York Yankees had won the WorldSeries

Sharia By The Inchwww.IBDeditorials.comInvestors’ Business Daily

In a monumental nod to political cor-rectness, the Empire State Building litup green in honor of the Muslim holi-day Eid.

Six years ago, Islamic terrorists screamed“Allah is Greater!” as they slammed fuel-laden jumbo jets into two other NewYork skyscrapers. Six years ago, New

Yorkers were worried about the GreenMenace.

What’s next, Ground Zero festooned with crescent moons and stars? Politicalcorrectness is running amok. EveryOctober, the White House holds aRamadan dinner for Muslim leadersand activists, even though we are stillwaiting for them to condemn Islamicterror groups by name.

This year, to their delight, PresidentBush praised, and even suggested weall worship Allah. “I believe that all the world, whether they be Muslim,Christian, or any other religion, praysto the same God,” he said, adding, “Ibelieve that Islam is a great religionthat preaches peace.”

A nice sentiment. But militant Muslimsbelieve peace cannot be attained untilIslam dominates the globe. We knowthis by the words they’ve been caughton tape mouthing to Muslim audiences.

Ignorance and blind tolerance make iteasier for the Islamists to make inroads.Inch by inch, sharia [Islamic law] iscreeping into our society.

Iran’s Secret Weapon: The Pope By Jeff Israely, Time.com

The diplomatic chess game around Iran’snuclear program includes an unlikely bishop. According to several well-placed Rome sources, Iranian officials are quietly laying the groundwork necessary to turn to Pope Benedict XVI and top Vatican diplomats for mediation if the showdown with the United States shouldescalate toward a military intervention.


WHAT A WORLD!

Women Distract MuslimMen From Sleep, PrayersBy Leo Lewis, www.TimesOnline.co.uk

Women who wear figure-huggingclothes are giving Muslim men sleepless nights and distracting themfrom prayer, a prominent cleric saidyesterday.

Attacking theappeal of mod-ern Malaysianwomen, NikAbdul Aziz NikMat— a fun-damentalistMuslim clericwho controlsthe main oppo-sition partyand one of thecountry’s 13states—said that provocative clotheswere a form of “emotional abuse.”

Clothes that are modest by Westernstandards were, he said, stopping thecountry’s men getting a good night’ssleep. “We always [hear about] theabuse of children and wives in house-holds, which is easily perceived by theeye but the emotional abuse of mencannot be seen,” Mr. Nik Abdul Azizsaid. “Our prayers become unfocusedand our sleep is often disturbed.” Likeso many of his previous outbursts, thecomments drew instant criticism fromwomen’s groups.

Previous advice from Mr. Nik AbdulAziz to Malaysia’s women includedthe suggestion that they would be at alower risk of being raped if they aban-doned their lipstick and perfume. Mr. Nik Abdul Aziz posted a diagramof an appropriately dressed woman onhis party’s website. The picture showsa woman in a baggy, floor-lengthdress with a scarf covering her hair.

As the minister of the northeasternstate of Kelantan, Mr. Nik Abdul Azizhas imposed fines on Muslim womenwho fail to wear headscarves, andimposed other draconian restrictions.

The Price For SpeakingUp In ArabiaAssociated Press,www.TheGlobeAndMail.com

A Saudi court sentenced a woman whohad been gang raped to six months injail and 200 lashes —more than dou-bling her initial penalty for being in thecar of a man who was not a relative.[See original account in January 2007,Levitt Letter, page 21]

The decision by the Qatif General Courtcame in a case that sparked rare debateabout the kingdom’s justice systemwhen it surfaced. In its decision, thecourt also roughly doubled prison sen-tences [originally from 10 months tofive years] for the seven men convictedof raping the 19-year-old woman.According to Arab News, the court saidthe woman’s punishment was increasedbecause of “her attempt to aggravateand influence the judiciary throughthe media.”

The woman has said that the attackoccurred as she tried to retrieve herpicture from a male high school studentshe used to know. While in the car withthe student, two men got into the vehicleand drove them to a secluded area,where she (a Shiite) was raped by seven(Sunni) men, three of whom alsoattacked her friend.

Under Saudi Arabia’s interpretation ofIslamic sharia law, women are notallowed in the company of men otherthan their relatives.

After the woman’s attorney argued the verdict

was too lenient for therapists and unjust for

the victim,the court confiscated his

license to practice law.


THE TAKEOVER CONTINUES

The Commissionership for the Mediasays it has “no indications” that any-thing is wrong. It will only instigate aninquiry if the Justice Ministry or thesecret service AIVD requests it.

MP Jeroen Dijsselbloem expressed hisconcern over “the increasing influence ofconservative Islam within various Islamicorganizations in the Netherlands.”

The Dutch government can’t afford topay for bodyguards for Ayaan Hirsi Ali,but they have plenty of money for apublic broadcasting operation for radical Muslims! —Editor

Only Goesto MeccaBy Patrick Goodenough, www.CNSnews.com

Coming soon? A car designed forMuslims, complete with a compass toindicate the direction of Mecca forprayers and a compartment to housethe Koran and prayer scarves.

Proposed by Iran, the plan is underconsideration by Malaysia’s nationalautomaker Proton, the company’smanaging director said.

Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir saidthat the proposed model, which theIranians suggested be called an “Islamiccar,” could be produced in Malaysia,Iran, or Turkey.

Public Broadcasterin Hands of RadicalMuslimswww.nisnews.nl

Until recently, the Netherlands hadtwo Islamic public broadcasters: themoderate NMO and the orthodox DutchIslamic Broadcasting Organization(NIO). Media watchdog Commissar-iaat voor de Media demanded that thetwo merge so the Islamic faith wouldhave a single representative body inthe public system. But this resulted inNIO staging a coup of NMO.

NMO has 2.5 transmission hours onTV each week. Following the coupNMO now consists of eight directors,all of them representing orthodoxcurrents. The representatives of theliberal Alevitic and Ahmadiyya currents,who ran NMO until recently, say theyhave been kicked out.

One of the members of the new boardof directors is believed to have closeties to the Muslim Brotherhood.

Another is chairman of the Al Farouqmosque in Utrecht whose imam wasdeported from the Netherlands in2001 for espionage for the Libyansecret service. Also among the eightdirectors is a member of the radicalmovement World Islamic Mission.

Raptured bookThe Rapture of the Church, discussed fully,with relevant Scriptures. The various views ofwhen it might happen are presented in anevenhanded debate about which seems mostcorrect. A doctrine not always understood bythe Church, but one that will affect everyoneon Earth—Believer and unbeliever alike.Must-reading for anyone planning to beRaptured! Available on page 16.


HEADLINE NEWS

Department, who together with Prof.Yoram Salomon of the BiologicalRegulation Department, invented thenew photo-sensitive drug.

“In general, we see that the therapy results in thecomplete destruction ofthe blood vessels connected to thetumor, and necrosis of the entire tumor.”

This kind of approach, known as photodynamic therapy (PDT), did existprior to the development of Tookad.But the new drug proved vastly moreeffective than its predecessors, whichwere based not upon chlorophyll, butupon hemoglobin pigment. Unlikeother PDT drugs, which remain in thebody for a long time, Tookad is flushedout within two hours, reducing theneed for patients to avoid sunlight forlengthy periods following treatment.

Tookad also has the great advantage ofbeing able to absorb near-infrared light,which penetrates more deeply and efficiently than other wavelengths.Using Tookad, a single illuminatedoptical fiber can reach and eradicate atumor with a diameter of up to 4 cen-timeters, and even larger growths canbe treated by using several fibers. Whatthis means is that the Israeli-developeddrug is effective against large, solidtumors that previously had evaded thereach of other PDT drugs.

Phase I/II clinical trials are currentlyunderway in the U. S., U. K., Canada,France, and Israel as second line therapyfor prostate cancer patients for whomalternative treatment strategies havefailed.

Israeli ProstateCancer Treatmentwww.Israel21c.com

Prostate cancer is the most commontype of cancer found in men, otherthan skin cancer, and affects one manin six. While today, more than 99 per-cent of patients are alive five yearsafter diagnosis of prostate cancer, acouple of decades ago that survivalrate was more like 40 percent, or lower.

Even given such promising leaps andbounds, prostate cancer remainsnothing to treat lightly. But a scientificdevelopment that has emerged fromIsraeli labs is proving to be an effec-tive treatment for prostate cancerwhen radiation proves unsuccessful.

Researchers based at the WeizmannInstitute in Rehovot, Israel, havedeveloped a light-sensitive drug basedon the plant pigment chlorophyll.Called Tookad—after the Hebrew termmeaning “the warmth of light”—thedrug remains harmless until exposedto a laser beam, at which point itbecomes toxic. Injected into a patient,Tookad can be activated by doctorsthrough the use of optical fibers,allowing the selective destruction ofthe blood vessels which feed the tumor,while leaving healthy tissue intact.

“Chlorophyll is designed by nature toharvest solar energy for photosynthe-sis, so it has high absorption of light,”explained Prof. Avigdor Scherz of theWeizmann Institute’s Plant Sciences

THE HAMAS “LION KING”After sparking international outrage with a Mickey Mouse look-alike [see July ’07Levitt Letter, page 10], Hamas has adoptedanother Disney figure, the Lion King, thistime to target its rival Fatah faction. Thecartoon, shown on Hamas-run Al Aksa TV,portrays Fatah as cigarette-smoking ratsthat bomb Hamas institutions and shootchildren. The lion (Hamas) crushes someof the rats with his paws and sends othersscurrying away. Smell A Rat? This is how Hamas sees the rival Fatah faction.


TV AIRING SCHEDULE (below)

America’s Place In The World

On February 14, 2002, Colin Powell was asked how he felt representing a country com-monly perceived as “the Satan of contemporary politics.” Here is the relevant part of hisreply: “Far from being the Great Satan, I would say that we are the Great Protector.We have sent men and women from the armed forces of the United States to other partsof the world throughout the past century to put down oppression.”

“And when all those conflicts were over, what did we do? Did westay and conquer? Did we say, ‘Okay, we defeated Germany. NowGermany belongs to us? We defeated Japan, so Japan belongs to us?’ No. What did wedo? We built them up. We gave them democratic systems which they have embracedtotally to their soul. And did we ask for any land? No, the only land we ever asked forwas enough land to bury our dead. And that is the kind of nation we are.”

TCT on DirecTVTCT is Channel 377 on DirecTV:Visit www.tct.tv for your area’s schedule.

NOTE: If you are unable to view Zola Levitt Presents,please contact your local cable company or refer to your satellite directory.

Our entire TV Airing Schedule is posted atwww.levitt.com.


WORTH CONSIDERING

non-oil-producing country, the Pales-tinians’ sole source of fuel and why isthe European Union paying for it?

Israel can’t buy fuel through normalchannels, but must do so circuitouslybecause no oil-producing Arab countrywants to risk incurring the wrath of theIslamist extremists in their midst. Israelstill gets fuel, but the extra trouble isreflected in the prices at the gas pump—about $6 per gallon when I was thereseveral months ago.

I can’t help wondering why the sur-rounding Arab countries, which areessentially swimming in crude oil, arenot donating it or selling it at reducedrates to their Palestinian brethren?They’re very generous with their hate-ful, murder-inciting rhetoric. But theydon’t seem willing to put their oil wheretheir mouth is.

Curious.

And more frustrating is the completeacceptance of this weird, counter-intu-itive status quo by much of the world,who seem to say that the Israelis areresponsible for the well-being of thosebent on their destruction, and, in fact,must supply them with the means tocontinue their attacks. I can’t believeany nation other than Israel would beexpected to operate under those con-ditions.

Despite the incongruity of the situation,no type of self-defense on Israel’s partappears to be morally acceptable tothese “human rights” folks. You know?One might be tempted to think that tothe “human rights” groups, Jews aren’thuman—or at least they’re not entitledto the same type of rights as otherhumans.

Which HumansGet Rights?By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen,www.FreeRepublic.com

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency storywas about Israel cutting supplies offuel to the Gaza Strip in response toPalestinian rocket fire into Israel.

It said that Israel’s Defense Ministryannounced it was reducing fuel sup-plies to Gaza by between five and 11percent as part of sanctions aimed atpressuring Hamas to stop shootingrockets from the territory. The gov-ernment plan, it said, was for Israel to also reduce electricity supplies toGaza, at some point.

Gaza’s 1.5 million Palestinians are evidently entirely dependent on Israelfor fuel imports, some of which arepaid for by the European Union. Israelisecurity sources say the cutbackswould likely affect only gas for privatecars while Gaza’s one power plantwould continue to get fuel.

Nevertheless, ten human-rights groupspetitioned Israel’s High Court of Justiceto overturn the sanctions, arguing theyamount to collective punishment.Israel counters by saying this is thenon-violent means it’s come up withfor dealing with constant Palestinianrocket attacks, and that the only alter-native would be a military one thatwould cause heavy casualties.

So, I’m a little baffled. These humanrights organizations are annoyed overthe “collective punishment” of fuel-related sanctions, which may make itharder for Gazans to fill up, but seemto have little trouble with actualpotentially death-producing rocketattacks. Why? Does the fact that Israelhas a modern army make its citizensfair game for random terrorism andmurder? Isn’t constant rocket fire intoIsraeli population centers “collectivepunishment?” And why is Israel, a


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Jeff and I invite you to traverse Israel’s mostsignificant biblical sites. Contact our TravelManager Tony to request a tour brochure duringbusiness hours at (214)696-9760 or call 1-800-WONDERS (966-3377) anytime. — Sandra

To get all of Zola’s music on CD, order his two collections—each has eight albums on fourCDs. That’s right—two collectionsof four CDs will give you a total ofsixteen albums. If you mentionThe 22-Album Special, we willthrow in the six individual musicCDs he created afterward: ThyKingdom Come, Love Stories of theBible, Champions of Faith, A Pilgrim’sJourney, Living Waters, and Cove-nants of God. Please order frompage 17.

Our Spring Tour offers 11-, 12-, and 20-day2008 itineraries:

• Footsteps of Paul(Greece & Cruise only)March 14-25

• Deluxe Tour (Israelonly) March 23-April 2

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INSIDE ITEMS “O Little Once- Christian Town of Bethlehem”