Armed & Dangerous: Becoming a Warrior of the Truth

By Grant Ralston, Jonathan Mingledorff and Dr. Ryan Ralston

Have you ever found yourself wrestling for assurance in your Christian beliefs? Have you ever been adrift on the ocean of confusion, unanchored and unsure, surveying the seas for a safe harbor? In Armed & Dangerous, Grant Ralston and Jonathan Mingledorff deliver the essentials needed to secure your faith. In this arsenal of biblical weaponry, they offer a priceless resource for building confidence in God, clarifying key tenets of the faith, and sharing the gospel with others. Start reading now and learn that...

Sin in the world originated with Adam and Eves transgression and continues to wreak havoc on humanity.

Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died an atoning death, and conquered the grave through a justifying resurrection.

God reveals himself as a trinity in both the Old and the New Testament.

The Bible is the most unique and life-transforming book ever composed because it is divinely inspired and historically accurate.

The baptism of the Holy Ghost was not just a first-century phenomenon, but rather an experience readily available to the present-day child of God.

Every reader is sure to obtain a greater understanding of and a deeper appreciation for God and the Bible. Let Christians rise up and become valiant warriors of the faith!

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 29, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512791846

Grant Ralston

Grant Ralston lives in Bloomingdale, Georgia, with his wife, Katrina, and son, Aiden. He teaches at Butler Christian Academy and has earned a Master’s in Christian Studies from Luther Rice College and Seminary. Ryan Ralston lives in Bloomingdale, Georgia, with his wife, Beth. He is the pastor of Savannah Holy Church of God, the principal of Butler Christian Academy, and the president of Heritage Bible College. He also has earned a Ph.D. from Carolina University in Organizational Leadership.

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Copyright © 2017 Grant Ralston & Jonathan Mingledorff.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-9183-9 (sc)

ISBN:978-1-5127-9182-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-9184-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017909764

WestBow Press rev. date: 6/26/2017

CONTENTS

Foreword

An Introduction to Armed & Dangerous

Part I A Triune General

Chapter 1 The Trinity Revealed in the Old Testament

Chapter 2 The Trinity Revealed in the New Testament

Part II An Enemy Invasion

Chapter 3 The Origin of Sin

Chapter 4 The Nature of Sin

Chapter 5 The Penalty of Sin

Part III QRF

Chapter 6 The Deity & Humanity of Christ

Chapter 7 The Sinlessness of Christ

Chapter 8 The Great Atonement of Christ

Chapter 9 The Death, Burial, & Resurrection of Christ

Part IV Two-Edged Sword

Chapter 10 The Divine Inspiration of Scripture

Chapter 11 The Precision of Scripture

Part V Dynamite

Chapter 12 The Baptism of the Holy Ghost

About the Authors

Epilogue

Glossary

Bibliography

Endnotes

FOREWORD

I am grateful for the two men who have taken the time to produce this great work. What was originally designed as Sunday School lessons, has now become the book you have in your hands. Jonathan Mingledorff and Grant Ralston are exceptional young men whom God has raised up in this generation to make a difference for the glory of God. I have pastored Jonathan for twenty years and he has always displayed a sincere desire to please God. I have known Grant all his life because I am his dad and could not be prouder of the follower of Christ he has become. Just a few years ago, I handed these young men high school diplomas, but now I am watching as they become authors and pursue after God’s heart for their lives!

These two ministers pick up their pens and challenge their generation to open their mind and dig into God’s Word. Satan’s first attack in Scripture was against God’s Word (Gen. 3). He doesn’t want you to know God’s Word. Or, he wants to make you doubt God’s Word. It is critical this generation knows the fundamental truths of Scripture. Amos prophesied of a day when there would be a lack of hearing the words of the Lord (Amos 8:11, KJV). Armed and Dangerous is a challenging call to this generation to know the truth of the trinity; possess an understanding of the reality of sin; appreciate the life, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; believe in the infallibility of Scripture; and experience the blessedness of the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

In Luke 4, Jesus responded to the temptations of the enemy through the power of the Word of God. Have you ever wondered why? I believe it was for our example! When faced with the temptations of the enemy, we must know the Word of God. What we believe will most likely determine how we behave. Let’s be an overcoming generation. My prayer for you is after you read this book you will become Armed and Dangerous.

Dr. Ryan Ralston

Pastor, Savannah Holy Church of God

President, Heritage Seminary

AN INTRODUCTION TO

ARMED & DANGEROUS

Pilate, the Roman prefect of Judea, a man of power through war and sealed appointment of the Emperor, stood erect to judge the man who posed a threat to the civility of his province.

The accused, ravaged by the hatred of his accusers, stood chained and beaten, caked with dirt and soot from the night’s fires, a mangled mess of man and earth. The typical criminal. His own people had brought him before the governor to complete the capital sentencing.

But the Galilean faced his judge as a man who had finally found his purpose. There was neither malice nor fear to mar his demeanor. He looked the elite Roman in the eye with assurance, not defiance, but with the surety of a soldier having squashed a legion of rebel warriors.

It was peculiar. Awe-inspiring.

The prefect was unnerved.

Are you a king, then?

The man had been brought to Pilate for this much at least: his accusers said he claimed to be royalty. It was a challenge to Rome. It was a challenge to the Jews who rejected a king born in Galilee. It was a death sentence. But it was obvious this man had no fear of death. He spoke with clarity and command.

"Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice."

The prefect rose from his marble seat and stepped towards the bloodied man. Had the gods exiled a heavenly king to be humiliated and slaughtered on earth? Or was this a test of the gods to trap the Romans and ruin their dynasty?

Truth. The man spoke of truth as though he were the holder of singular thought and reason. Of all that Pilate had ever known or seen, this was new. He had seen thousands of men die while calling on their gods to save them; he had been cursed many times by his enemies’ gods, all who appeared to have no power to halt his rise to Roman authority. But this man claimed himself to be the king of heaven and declared that none held power over him, except it were given to him from above.

What is truth? he asked with a raised tone and sagging brow, and stepped around the Jew. With the flick of his finger the soldiers opened the door to the arena filled with noisy protesters. He would either release the Galilean or wash his hands of the matter and let the people have their way. Peace would come from either. The man was innocent. The people were bloodthirsty over the most ridiculous things.

The Galilean was taken from his cross before sunset.

Pilate, prefect of Judea through the strength of Rome, slumped silently in his marble seat. His memory continued to replay the voice of the Jews’ dead king: Truth. All those that hear my voice will know the truth. This truth speaker was now silent forever. Buried and guarded, Jesus of Nazareth was dead.

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Truth. Even when the totality of humanity was two, truth was under siege. The first man and woman failed to retain their knowledge of the truth, being fooled to think it resided in their own reasoning and self-propelled will. Ever since that day, the day truth was forgotten, humanity has, by and large, crusaded in vain to rediscover it. The voyages of some have led them to wealth; others to good sense, to self-awareness, to stature, and to social equality. All of these contain some bits of truth. None are the totality it. Even the great Pontius Pilate, a governor and a ruler, amongst the strongest in all of Rome, as he stood before the man who was truth incarnate, was too blind to see it standing before his very eyes.

Christ said that he was the way, the truth, the life, and all who followed him would find an easy yoke, a heart of love, a life of fulfillment, and a Father who loved them enough to send his only begotten, to pay their penalty, to redeem them from sin, and to restore them in right standing with the Divine Creator of all heaven and earth.

But very few recognized him then. Still today, few acknowledge him. And indeed, those who do recognize him are not comfortable with who he really is, and was, and is to always be. He has been fitted to fancies and fashions, altered to align more comfortably with traditions and cultures and lifestyles and preferences. As a result, the church he founded has become splintered and fractured and is altogether different from the singularity of purpose and power for which it was designed.

What is truth?

Truth still cries out to be heard and will be revealed to all who care to listen. Did not Christ preach one message? Did he not establish one church under the banner of one gospel? The Word of God has not changed. The Scriptures remain the bedrock of faith, speaking expressly of one truth. The time has come for the Bible, God’s inspired word, to be taken for what it is, not twisted and bent to fit denominational dogma. The time has come for the Christian to refuse hiding away and cowering in fear, afraid that he or she might offend someone by declaring what is right. The Christian must take courage in what he knows and stand upon it. Let every Christian be clad in the full armor of God once again.

As Paul told the Ephesians, there is a war to be won; and the choice weapons have been purchased with blood, ensured by the Spirit, and donned through faith.

The Christian soldier should valiantly wield the sword that enables him to crush the temptations of Satan. Faith must be taken up like a sturdy shield, and with it should every soldier stand his ground against the onslaught of destruction and doubt. Righteousness should be worn about the breast, securing the heart from immorality and moral subjectivism. Salvation at the crest of the Christian should both define and defend him. The child of God should never shed his shoes, but must strap them tightly about his feet for the swiftness of battle. This is the grand arsenal. Let every soldier be armed and dangerous. Satan and his militia quake at the sound of this marching army—bearers of the banner of truth, who wage war through it, stand victoriously in it, and bring life with it.

This, then, is the purpose of Armed and Dangerous: we are calling all of God’s people to take up arms again and know that their faith is rooted in truth. Through this book, we hope to equip you with surety. By taking on