Zola Levitt Ministries Blog

By Clayton Herring, producer at Berg Productions

For Our Jewish Roots, our TV production team constantly seeks to present God’s Word in ways that are meaningful and relevant. In this spirit and during this presidential election year, we’ve produced a series that compares the success or failure of ancient kings of Israel and Judah, uncovering lessons in Godly leadership and principles that still apply to the leaders we choose today. This eight-part series, Kings and Kingdoms, debuted the first week in May and continues through June. (You can watch missed episodes on levitt.tv — for free.)

At the beginning of the year, we had no idea that the biggest story of 2020 would be a global pandemic causing the death of thousands and resulting in billions of people around the world sheltering in place. When the shelter order came in our area, the ministry office closed to the public and workers began working from home.

The production office also sent home those who could work remotely. Those who could not developed safety protocols and rotations to prevent infection. (So far, so good, thank the Lord!) Fortunately, we continued operating under the media exemption. Otherwise, all our weekly programs, news updates, YouTube, and other social media postings — everything — would have come to a complete stop in less than fourteen days.

The week before the shelter-in-place order was issued, we had recorded Dr. Seif’s teaching segments for a new prophecy series Revelation: Unveiling the Visions. But we hadn’t yet filmed the segments featuring David, Kirsten, and Jeff together in the studio. How can this be accomplished if the studios are not reopened in time? Or if the ten-person gathering limit is still in effect? We know that Revelation’s July debut could be in jeopardy if we are unable to get everything filmed by Memorial Day.

Clearly, it is time to think “outside the box” and consider alternatives. Perhaps your local TV station also practices social distancing — with only one person in the studio while others participate from home. We have seen this technique followed in several TV specials: One person occupies the screen at a time, each from a different location, and most of them from their own homes.

Following this pattern, our “studio” segments could be recorded remotely. We are making preparations to do just that so we can continue providing relevant, timely programming. As our slogan says: “Bible teaching with an emphasis on Israel, prophecy, and the Jewish Roots of the Christian faith.”

Time will tell what long-term effects linger after COVID-19; some changes have already occurred. We know that God is in complete control and definitely on the move. So, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we seek to continue to serve Him in these uncertain times.

Like many of you, we had no idea a virus would cause such disruption and turmoil on a global scale. Ever since last fall, we had been planning a March trip to Israel to produce another television series. We were busy with content discussions, coordinating with our Israeli producer, deciding on locations, scheduling interviews, meetings with Dr. Seif and more. The series we wanted to do would include dramatic reenactments by Israeli actors. We held screen tests to find the best actors for the project when we were in Israel last fall. We made our selections, sent them their scripts and they have been memorizing their lines and growing their beards in anticipation of our arrival.

However… with only a couple of days till our flight was scheduled to depart, the Israeli government imposed a mandatory 14 day quarantine for all people coming into the country. That firmly closed the door on any production in Israel for the near future, but (LORD willing) we are making plans to return to Israel this fall and begin production on the series on the Apostle Peter. But what to do in the meantime? We prayed about it (always a good idea) and remembered we have been talking about doing a series on prophecy for a while now. With the scary situation brought about by Covid-19, we thought now the time was right to create a series that looks toward the future. Here is a photo of the set we put together in one of our office rooms:

In “Revelation: Unveiling the Visions,” Dr. Seif goes through each chapter of the last book in the Bible, searching for the main themes and lessons that would apply to the original readers (approximately 95 A.D.) and for us as well. The book of Revelation is chock full of tribulation, darkness and judgment but the Lamb of GOD begins and ends the book. We need to see our current circumstances in light of GOD’s will and HIS word. So, we are busy working on this series and hoping to debut it in July, right after our series on godly leaders and leadership “Kings and Kingdoms.”

As you can tell, the turnaround time for a new production is long. It has been made even longer with the requirement for Closed Captioning (a good thing but it takes time) and most of our networks and stations want to have our program in their hands at least two weeks prior to it’s airing. So, we are just not able to deal with time sensitive issues on our weekly television program. That is why we encourage you to join us on our social media outlets: Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter for extra content and timely topics.

We continue doing our best and working unto the LORD. This contagion merely motivates us more as we realize the prophetic clock is still ticking and moving closer to the end times. May we all not grow weary in well doing as we (the bridesmaid) prepares for our groom. Come quickly LORD JESUS.

How lovely to learn that viewers and ministry supporters remember me and want to know how I am doing.

One of the best teachings I have ever heard came from Jeff Seif while we were on tour with our pilgrims on the Sea of Galilee. Most teachers, when they’re on the Sea, talk about how troubles come up from nowhere, swirl around us, and then leave. But, Jeff’s take was that when trouble comes, we forget to breathe! We are so anxious, so worried, and so consumed by our troubles that we take short breaths, and this practice is not healthy. When we can’t think of anything but our troubles, we do not see life around us. In short, we forget to live. We forget to love. We think all is lost, so what is the use?

Jeff’s final words were: “Breathe again; take a deep breath or two, and really breathe. Live again. Remember the good that is in our lives everyday: the simple things, such as a sunrise. And lastly, love again. Take another chance.”

I wrote these words in my Bible and held them dear to my heart. I read them over and over. After Zola died, I had thought that I would never breathe, or live, or love again.

I don’t know if anyone knows this, but we were filming Zola’s tribute only six days after he died. I had rarely been on TV before, and I was grieving. But, Ken Berg (Zola’s producer) said, “We have plenty of tape and plenty of time.” His kindness was a real comfort.

God handed me a significant role in Zola Levitt Ministries so that I could breathe again. Jeff and I were a good team leading tours to the Holy Land. Israel was and will always be my heart. I could breathe when I was there. I lived because of the plans God gave me. I started small and really looked at what was around me, at the simple things that showed how I was blessed each and every day. I got to share the teachings I had learned from Zola, and that helped me heal, knowing that I was helping others understand the Jewishness of the Bible.

And finally, God sent me love again. I remarried and now live in Northern California. My husband, Dan, is a wonderful man. I am blessed to love and be loved again.