A Divided Nation

Posted on May 10, 2012 by admin

President Obama’s admission yesterday that he does believe in same-sex marriage did not surprise many people, but it drew a line in the sand – dividing the nation in yet another way. It came at the same time that North Carolina became the 30th state in the Union to adopt a constitutional amendment declaring that marriage is solely a union between a man and a woman.  The polls show that the difference of opinion in the nation is very close to 50/50, with young people and their entertainment idols strongly supporting sexual diversity.  They do so because of their lack of knowledge of God’s Word, or even animosity to the Bible in general.

I got involved in a Facebook conversation last night when a friend posted that she was discouraged by the President’s decision. She was severely attacked by one of her “friends,” who called her ignorant and said she should wake up.

I posted an encouragement to her that she was right because she agreed with God’s Word.

The abusive writer then addressed me, claiming that throughout history people have invoked God’s word for whatever was convenient for them.  Of course he was right, but does the error of some people give the whole world the right to ignore God’s very clear teaching on the subject of homosexuality?  Certainly not!  I referred him to the Scripture list on our Prophecy Central “homosexuality” page.

He countered with, “Don’t start with me on ‘quotes from the bible.’”

I was tempted to “defend” the Bible. But I learned long ago that the Bible is sharper than a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), and that we don’t need to defend it – just use it.  I posted a quotation from God’s Word.

How desperately our young people – and all of us – need to know and obey the Bible.  We need to heed the warning of Isaiah 5: 20.

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Let’s ask the Lord to send us a great end-times revival!

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Remembering Chuck Colson

Posted on April 21, 2012 by admin

It was a great privilege to live in the days of such a spiritual and intellectual giant as Charles Colson. The world will not be the same without him. He accepted Christ as his personal savior during the Watergate scandal, and by God’s grace, he turned his loss and imprisonment into an exceptionally brilliant career as a Christian philosopher and founder of Prison Fellowship.

I had the privilege of knowing him and working with Prison Fellowship for over a decade, starting in 1979. I served as a national seminar instructor, visiting different prisons all over the country one week-end every month or two during that time. At one retreat with him, he gave each person a numbered copy of this classic book, “Loving God.” Because of my interest in prophecy, he gave me the one with the number 666!

There will be a great outpouring of love and admiration for him. Whatever is said and written, it will not be possible to exaggerate his great mind, memory, compassion, courage, and influence. I will always think of him as a cross between the Apostle Paul and Mother Theresa.

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New Ministry Pages

Posted on April 19, 2012 by admin

Since Barbara and I “retired,” we have been busier than ever. Everyone told us it would be that way, and we are OK with it. We want to continue serving the Lord and His People. Solid Ground Church is still our home base, and we are very happy to see how the Lord is blessing our new pastoral couple.

I have posted a new section outlining the things we might be able to do for others in the ministry, and we have a matching brochure.  Please visit our new ministry section at www.rongraff.com

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UFOs Appear On Prophecy Central

Posted on April 19, 2012 by admin

Articles about UFO’s are not really new on the Prophecy Central website.  We have occasionally posted information about alien life and the appearance of Unidentified Flying Objects since the beginning of our service in 1996.  Even then we thought that the periodic wave of sightings and speculation about UFOs was possibly a demonic deception that could be used by the “Man of Sin” (or Antichrist), who will appear in the End Times, to explain the disappearance of millions of people when the Rapture of the Church occurs.

8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.           – 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12

In the past we have posted news about UFOs in our “Fearful Events” section, which also reports on various signs in the heavens, including asteroids, comets, solar flares, space junk, and major storms. But now, thanks to the suggestion of an Internet friend, Brad Myers, we have decided to track UFO information in a separate section of the website. Brad Myers and Jim Tetlow have produces a fictional audio drama entitled The Coming Global Transformation. Brad has researched this phenomenon for many years and contributed to the production of the book “Alien Encounters” by Chuck Missler and Mark Eastman.

Here is a little insight about this subject from our own book,  Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy (From Chapter 13, “The Plot Thickens”)…

      During one week in September of 2010 two sensational stories, reported by major news sources, brought UFOs and extraterrestrial life back into the public eye.  The first was about a press conference in Washington D.C. UFO researcher Robert Hastings announced that some 100 former and retired members of the US Air Force claim sightings of UFOs and say that aliens interfered with nuclear weapons.

      The second big story was that the United Nations was seriously considering appointing an “Ambassador to Extraterrestrials.” The most likely person to be appointed to such a position was named as Mazlan Othman, a Malaysian astrophysicist. News sources were asked to recast the story to include that Othman denied the appointment.  However, she does already hold the position of director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.

      Many Christians suspect that UFO appearances are often demonic manifestations. In any event, the end of the age will be a time of unprecedented deception. Satan’s power to imitate and counterfeit the miracles of God will increase and in those days, separating the real from the counterfeit will become increasingly more difficult.

We invite you to check out the new UFO section today!

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Red Skies

Posted on March 29, 2012 by admin

Recently Barbara and I had the privilege of visiting the offices of the Blue Letter Bible and of sharing a prophecy update with their wonderful staff.  Although we have used their site for our sermon preparation week after week for nearly 15 years, we had never met Jim Milligan, the CEO of the ministry.  I was happy to tell him that I consider the Blue Letter Bible the most valuable site on the Internet.  If I could only choose one site to visit from now on, I would miss Google and some other great destinations, but I would pick BLB (the short version of their name)!

I spoke on the topic “Red Skies.”  Jesus said,

“When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky
is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.– Matthew 16:2-4

Of course he also warned the Disciples that they could never know the exact day or hour of his return, but this verse is a warning not to ignore the signs of the times. I shared four “Red Skies” developments in these critical days.  You can download a pdf file of the notes if you wish. But here, I would like to say a little more about the first one: “Apostasy and Revival.”

Apostasy, or a “falling-away” from the truth,   is a major sign that the End Times are approaching (Matthew 24:12; 2 Timothy 4:3; Revelation 3:16).  Revival is not guaranteed, but the Lord always gave warning before sending great judgment. In many cases the warning was ignored (people of Noah’s days, inhabitants of Sodom in Lot’s days, etc.), but in others, they repented and experienced revival (the Ninevites in Jonah’s days).

Today, even though many people are interested in prophecy and world events, most pastors do not share what the Bible teaches about the End Times with their flocks.  Here are some of the reasons for this:

1.  Anti-prophecy attitude – Some well-meaning Christian leaders neglect prophecy. One example is a prominent pastor who ignores the subject on purpose, and told his readers, “If you want Jesus to come back sooner, focus on fulfilling your mission, not figuring out prophecy. “ This might sound pious, but it ignores passages like Acts 20:27 where Paul spoke about teaching the “whole counsel of God,” and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 where he made it clear that all Scripture was inspired by God and was therefore profitable. After all, more than a quarter of the Bible is prophecy.

2.  Others say – “Where is the promise of His coming?”  (2 Peter 3:3-4) They are turned off by too much speculation and false date setting.

3.  Others won’t preach anything that is controversial. (2 Timothy 4:3)

4.  Still others are Anti-Semitic at heart. They teach that the Church has replaced Israel.  These folks need to read Romans 11!

Pastors today have a choice to make: Will they faithfully proclaim the truth so that people may understand the remarkable events of our time, or will they be like the Pharisees who withheld the truth from the people and were called “hypocrites” by Jesus?

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Let’s Go To Israel!

Posted on February 28, 2012 by admin

What are you doing November 8 to 18? We would love for you to join us for a journey back in time to Israel, the world’s most famous vacation destination. It will also be a look into the future as we consider incredible Bible prophecies that are being fulfilled right before our eyes! A trip to Israel is truly a life-changing event. The experience is worth more than a year in Bible College. Imagine walking where Jesus walked, and hearing His story in a fresh new way! Once you have visited the places where our Bible stories took place, you will never be the same. We will learn so much even before we visit the Holy Land. While we are in Israel we will take time for group worship at the Mount of Beatitudes, baptisms in the Jordan River, singing in a church near the Pool of Bethesda, Communion in the Garden where Jesus’ Tomb was found, and so much more. We look forward to this great experience together! There is also an optional trip at the end to the rose-red city of Petra.

Prophecy Central has devoted a special section to our tour. Visit it to see pictures and read the fabulous itinerary for this luxury tour!  Half of the joy of a trip to Israel is the anticipation!  We will study Bible history and prophecy together on the Internet and each person (or couple) will receive the beautiful Holy Land pictorial guide!

Click here to check it out!

Blessings,

Pastor Ron and Barbara Graff and

Pastor Darrell and Lenora Ward

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Bible Prophecy: Who Can You Trust?

Posted on February 7, 2012 by admin

 

Why we wrote

“Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy”

There are so many ideas floating around about prophecy in these fascinating times. How does one know what is true and what is just speculation? Fourteen years ago Lambert Dolphin and I teamed up to write a thoroughly Biblical book on the subject. We called it “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done: The Prayer Offered Most Often is about to be Answered.” It was posted on the Internet, and during that time more than 340,000 people have downloaded it.  It was used by countless pastors and Bible teachers over the years and proved itself to be reliable.  In all that time there was nothing we had taught about Bible prophecy that we needed to change or retract.

We realized that the world has changed in many ways during those 14 years: including the 9/11 attacks and the war on terrorism,  the rise of Iran’s fanatical regime, and the financial meltdown of the past few years. These issues needed to be addressed. We also knew that many people would prefer to have a real book in their hands that they could mark up and return to as a trusted resource. That is why we updated the book, changed its name, and released it in two major formats: a large attractive paperback book, and an eBook for Kindle and other eReaders, tablets and smart phones.

Here is a note from co-author Lambert Dolphin:

The Bible is full of good news for all who wish to know the truth about the One, true God and the great future He has lanned for our race. Over 20% of Scripture concerns the future of mankind. But all the positive things God wants to do for us are thwarted by careless neglect of these prophetic Scriptures. Connecting the Dots has been written to help ordinary people understand the essentials of our future. Radio, television, movies, the media of every nation, the teachings of most churches and schools mislead, distort and warp the straightforward account of how our benevolent Creator will soon step back into history to bring about real peace on earth with justice for all.

We have had an excellent response so far from the readers of the book. It gives the “big picture” of prophecy and explains the major predictions about the End Times in a step-by-step way. There is also a free downloadable study guide that can be used for personal enrichment or for group study.  If you don’t have a copy of Connecting the Dots yet you may order it directly from Prophecy Central or from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your Christian bookstore.

Order book from Prophecy Central

Order book from Amazon.com

Order eBook from Amazon.com

Free Download of Study Guide

Spiral-bound copy of Study Guide for $10

More information about the book

Posted in 2012, Apologetics, Apostasy, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy, Creation, Earthquakes, Egypt, Eschatology, Evangelism, Fearful Events, Gog and Magog, Heaven, Hell, Islam, Israel, Libya, Mark of the Beast, Middle East War, Missions, New World Order, Peace, Persecution, Prayer, Rapture, Religions, Revival, Revived Roman Empire, Syria, Technology, Terrorism, United States of America, Wars | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Where is Syria in Prophecy?

Posted on January 30, 2012 by admin

The question is often asked, “Where is Syria in prophecy?” How significant was the surprise bombing by Israel of a secret nuclear development site in Syria in 2011?  When will the Isaiah 17 prophecy of the utter destruction of Damascus, their capital, be fulfilled?  Syria’s capital, Damascus, is considered the oldest continually-inhabited city on Earth, but Isaiah predicted its sudden destruction in the distant future.

Psalm 83 also predicts a war between Israel and her neighbors that will have the support of Assyria (Including modern Syria), but this war is different from the even-greater future war of Gog and Magog (Russia with Iran and other major Islamic countries).  One would expect that war to include Syria, but it is not mentioned, perhaps because it will have already been eliminated by then.

One possible scenario that would include all these factors would be an escalation of the current tensions between Israel and the Palestinians so that a regional war erupts. Russia and Iran would not be involved directly because the time is not yet right for the War of Gog and Magog, but Syria might take the lead in the regional war against Israel. If Israel were to suffer an attack from Syria by a weapon of mass destruction, they could respond with overwhelming force to utterly destroy Damascus.

Such a victory for Israel could produce the temporary peace that will exist a little later according to Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, when the War of Gog and Magog will begin.

Posted in Gog and Magog, Israel, Syria, Wars | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

2012 Prophecy or Panic?

Posted on January 12, 2012 by admin

I must recommend this outstanding documentary that is now available on DVD.  It was produced by Cloud Ten Pictures, and hosted by Jeff Douglas.  He walks through the magnificent ruins of the ancient Mayan culture and thoroughly explores the phenomenon of their ancient calendar, which ends on December 21 of this year.  People are wondering…  Is the end of the world?  Or is it nothing at all?

The 87-minute professional production gives the opportunity for many experts to give their opinions about the Mayans, their culture, their astronomical achievements, and their incredibly accurate calendar.

Several of these guests are new-age philosophers.  They think there is some spiritual importance to the date, but generally acknowledge that the Mayans did not promote the idea of an apocalypse at the end of their so-called “long-count” calendar.  It is the point in the Earth’s travels where it aligns somewhat with the center of the galaxy.  To them, it is the beginning of a “new age,” but not the end of the world.

Gary Kah, a Bible scholar and an expert in the movement toward a one-world government and a united world religion, weighs in. He explains that this date could be an impetus to the combining of religions under the influence of new age thinking. He sees the possibility of demonic activity accompanying these days leading to the target date. However, he warns that the Bible’s end-time predictions do not necessarily coincide with this phenomenon.

Mark Hitchcock, a respected Bible prophecy teacher who has published books on the 2012 issue, gives a number of reasons why people should ignore most of the hype that has been building up as we approach the December 21 date.  The documentary includes many of our favorite teachers: Chuck Missler, Jack Kinsella, Donald Perkins, and more.

Add this documentary to your collection of must-have DVDs.  It will answer your questions and could be an effective tool for witnessing to non-Christians.

 

Posted in 2012, Eschatology, Fearful Events | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Free Study Guide / Gary Kah Endorsement

Posted on January 10, 2012 by admin

Lambert Dolphin and I are pleased to announce that we can offer you a FREE STUDY GUIDE to go with our book, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy.  The guide is divided into 12 weeks of daily study (5 days per week) with stimulating questions and activities.  It can be used for personal enrichment or for group study.  It is available as a free pdf document (52 pages), or as a spiral-bound product at a nominal cost.

We are also grateful for the endorsement of Gary Kah, one of the most respected prophecy teachers of our time.  Gary wrote…

“I have personally known Ron Graff as a friend for many years. He is a man of integrity with a genuine pastor’s heart and passion to see people come to know Jesus as Lord. He also happens to have a grasp of current world events and Bible prophecy like few others. His compelling book will heighten your sense of urgency about sharing the love and truth of Christ with a fallen humanity as the present age draws to a close.”

- Gary H. Kah, author of En Route to Global Occupation and The New World Religion, expert on globalization, international speaker and frequent talk show guest (www.garykah.org).

Get more information about the free Study Guide and Connecting the Dots.

Posted in Apologetics, Connecting the Dots: A Handbook of Bible Prophecy | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments