Book it

Written by Jim Fletcher Monday, 15 March 2010 21:50

I used to work with a fellow at a small-town newspaper, and he had a weekly column. Every week, the poor guy wrote about himself or his family. As the years dragged on, I knew readers were tired of his topics, even annoyed, but he kept cranking them out until he retired. Mercifully.

So it is, keeping that story in mind, that I risk doing the same thing this week as I discuss something personal.

I had intended to write about the claims to the Holy Land, by both Jews and Arabs, this week. But may I say, presumptuously, that just as Jude had meant to write on another subject before being prompted to write about the apostasy that would signal the end of the age, I too have been prompted in my spirit about something else.

For a couple weeks, I’ve tacked-on a short message at the beginning of my columns, alerting my friends at RaptureReady about the Balfour Books publishing company I’m privileged to be part of. Balfour Books is very close to my heart, and I’d like to make a real appeal to you, the reader, for your help in making BB successful. Terry and Todd have been quite wonderful about indulging my sometimes-quirky topics here at Israel Watch, and I enjoy talking to you through this forum. I love to hear from you every week, and have made many friends.

We developed Balfour Books at the publishing company I worked for, for many years. Two years after I left, the opportunity opened up to buy the Balfour Books division. I leaped, jumped into the deep end of the pool, and here we are. I finally have Balfour in a position to make a difference, to have an impact, with its Zionist foundation.

If you’ll go to www.balfourstore.com, look around, and call 877-887-0222, we’ll fix you up with some of the best pro Israel books in print today. I’ll profile a few of them in a moment.

Some of you know that my irritation with the current state of publishing is real. I have a love-hate relationship with the book publishing industry. The same arena that gives you the latest junk from Brian McLaren also gives you…Balfour Books.

We do this as a labor of love, because I can tell you that during the most routine moments, a crazy problem will erupt out of left field. Most chain bookstore buyers either give us the polite brush-off when we present Balfour titles for their consideration, or they don’t answer at all. Although we do sell to stores nationwide, that won’t be our best venue.

Our best venue is you.

I am going to ask you to do something: support us. Check out our online store and consider buying copies of our books. We do it because we love the Jewish people, and because we know the age we are living in. As John wrote 2,000 years ago, beloved, it is the last time.

We live in momentous times. The primary signal that we are in the end of the age is Israel. They have returned from the four corners of the earth, in direct fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

I have many Jewish friends, both here in the States and in Israel. A more courageous people I’ve never met. Not only are they surviving and thriving in the worst neighborhood in the world, they are a living witness to the Creator God. He is alive, active in our world today, and a personal God who loves each of us. Israel itself is a gargantuan sign of this.

So we publish books about them: history, culture, geopolitics, and counter-terrorism. I frankly need you to help us promote Balfour Books grassroots. It won’t happen any other way. The Lord has put this on my heart.

Allow me to acquaint you with some of our titles:

Entebbe; written by Iddo Netanyahu, the youngest of this Zionist family. This is the account of the famous hostage rescue carried out in the heart of Africa Israel sent her finest commandos to rescue 100 men, women, and children hijacked by PLO terrorists. If you are a fan of high-adventure books, or simply like everything Israel, this book is for you. Let me say it plainly: Entebbe is the best book I’ve ever read, period. The daring of the Israelis, the drama of the story, increasing with every turn of the page, is mind-boggling. Buy a case of them and give them away, discuss with friends! Call our toll-free number to order this sensational book, and tell them Jim sent you; E-N-T-E-B-B-E. in 1976.

Muhammad’s Monsters; written by David Bukay of Haifa University. David is a brave man. He was studying and writing about the jihadists before most everyone else. This book is a collection of essays by experts in counter-terrorism studies. Not a recreational read, it is vital for a proper understanding of the history and of the players in this end-times drama. Completely absorbing and above all, educational, this is one of the best books I’ve read on terrorism, and I’ve read almost all of them.

The Roadmap to Nowhere; written by Yitschak Ben-Gad. A layman’s guide to the Arab-Israeli conflict, Ben-Gad has written an absorbing account of the motives and beginnings of the major players in the Middle East. This is the kind of book that can give you amazing firepower when debating a liberal friend. Ben-Gad analyzes why the various peace initiatives have failed. Again, this is absolutely perfect for a church Bible study group.

Cherished Illusions; written by Sarah Stern. A personal friend, this petite woman is one of the biggest obstacles to the hoped-for success of the jihadits. Sarah has been a force on Capitol Hill for many years, tirelessly educating politicians about the heinous intentions of the radical Muslims. Now director of Emet (www.emetonline.org), a fantastic think-tank in Washington D.C., Sarah has written an incredible novel about the Holocaust. Honestly, I’m not much of a fiction reader, but I couldn’t put this book down.

The Palestinian Right to Israel; written by Dr. Alex Grobman. Alex is one of the world’s leading Holocaust scholars, and this book —a provocative title, yes — explains why the Jewish claim to the Holy Land is legitimate. In other words, there isn’t a Palestinian Right to Israel, and Alex has written one of the clearest defenses of this position I’ve ever read. The endorsements from leading terrorism experts like Steve Emerson and Robert Spencer attest to this. This book will be in print in three weeks, and I encourage you to promote this far and wide. A beautifully done book, it is a layman’s guide to the history of the Holy Land, complete with maps. In hardcover, this 330-page book, heavily documented, is a steal at $19.99.

These are just a few of the titles we have; we have more on the way, and we will keep you informed with regular updates.

You’ll notice by our sales prices that we are not in this for the money — if you know anything about the expense of publishing. This is a labor of love, and we feel, a real partnership with folks like you. I am asking you, again, to get on fire about this. Balfour Books is the only publishing entity devoted entirely to the defense of Israel. I am asking you to circulate this information as widely as you can: forward this column to all your like-minded friends, talk about it, write about it…buy our books! We will also offer very attractive discounts for case quantities, for those of you who can do that. Give them to youth, to your pastor, to family and friends.

I’d like to also ask that you do this for a sustained period of time. Call us, write us, I’ll even give you my email address ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ). Let us hear from you!

I can’t say it strongly enough: it’s important to get this information out to as many people as possible. It is our way to help embattled Israel, and honestly, to help ourselves. We all face a most vicious enemy in the jihadists.

I really am counting on your help.

Thanks,

Jim

Originally published in Rapture Ready, Israel Watch. March 15, 2010