Christian Zionist Author to Evangelise Lebanese Refugees

“Joshua Fund” Dispenses Food and Jesus DVDs to Lebanese

Apocalyptic Novel to be translated for Israelis

A new organisation is brought to my attention: The Joshua Fund. Over to its website:

Israelis, Lebanese and Palestinians have been devastated by the recent war and acts of terrorism. Lives have been shattered. Homes have been destroyed. Food, water, clothing and medicine are needed urgently. The Joshua Fund is partnering with evangelical ministries in the Middle East to provide desperately needed resources to Christians in the region to bless their neighbors in need in the name of Jesus. This is a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ to those who need it most.

The Joshua Fund is run by Joel C Rosenberg, former assistant to Benyamin Netanyahu and Steve Forbes turned apocalyptic Christian novelist. I looked at Rosenberg’s literary efforts back in the early days of this blog; Sadly, No! followed up in August (The Revealer also published an interesting piece).

The Fund’s two “humanitarian aid” efforts are the “Project to Bless Israel” and the “Project to Bless Lebanon”. As they explain:

The Joshua Fund is partnering with the Israeli Knesset (parliament) and the “Love For Israel Relief Fund,” a project of Knesset Social Welfare Lobby. Together, we will provide humanitarian relief for families in northern Israel who live under the poverty level and have recently had their lives and homes devastated by Hezbollah missiles and rockets…Needy Israeli families will be invited to the party where they will be given the opportunity to “shop” for Hannukah gifts for their children, food stuffs, clothes, diapers and other essentials.

Meanwhile, Lebanese refugees will get “Bags of Blessing”, to be distributed by Campus Crusade for Christ and local evangelicals:

…They will include non-perishable food items such as beans, rice, pasta, canned meat, processed cheese, oil, and powdered milk. In addition, each Bag will contain basic supplies such as soap, candles, matches, and aspirin, and a Jesus film DVD in Arabic.

Lebanese refugees are a particular target for evangelism just now; back in July I blogged on how an official for Samaritan’s Purse had claimed that the Israeli bombardment had “softened the hearts of many Muslims.”

However, despite Rosenberg’s personal background as a Jewish convert to Christianity, the “needy Israelis” will be spared a similar “Jesus film DVD in Hebrew”, for obvious political reasons. Instead, Rosenberg has some more subtle evangelism in mind – although a bit of unsubtle self-promotion is involved:

The Joshua Fund is currently translating The Ezekiel Option into Hebrew and Russian for publication in Israel in 2007. The Ezekiel Option, written by Joshua Fund founder and president Joel C. Rosenberg, is a political thriller about the threat of a Russian-Iranian alliance to destroy Israel based on the Biblical prophecies found in the Book of Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39. Written from an evangelical Christian perspective, the novel takes readers on a geopolitical and spiritual journey into God’s plan and purpose for the Middle East.

Rosenberg’s partners in this venture are his wife Lynn, Tim Lugbill (of the National Association of Manufacturers) and his wife Carolyn (of Going Global Matters), Steve Klemke (senior VP of KCM Mining and “luxury car guru“) and his wife Barb, and Amy Knapp. There’s also Edward Hunt, who with the Rosenbergs directs November Communications, Inc., which helps leaders “discover, develop, and deliver their message at home and around the globe”: particularly, it seems, former Iraqi General Georges Sada, whom I blogged on here. Hunt’s wife Kailea is also involved; she works for Global Impact Ministry at Lon Solomon’s McLean Bible Church in Virginia (“Impacting secular Washington for Christ”).

Other projects include Bibles for Iraq; a launch party for David Brog (another character I’ve encountered before); and meetings with Shimon Peres, Saeb Erekat, and the 1994 Prime Minister of Jordan.