Veterans Day

During the Battle of Britain, during WWII, Winston Churchill used the phrase 'Never in the field of human conflict have so many owed so much to so few'. While Prime Minister Churchill was referring to the RAF pilots and their defense of England, I feel that this quote can equally apply to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. Since its creation by President Woodrow Wilson in 1917 a day honoring those that have fought and died in the defense of the US has been observed on November 11th of each year. From the Ardennes in WWI to the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. From the freezing cold of the Chosin Reservoir to the rice patties of Southeast Asia and in our day the many conflicts in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan, our troops have been at the forefront in defending this country. All to often we as Americans take for granted the sacrifices these men, women and their families have endured. Our soldiers have endured time away from their families, stress of combat and sometimes even scorn from their fellow Americans for stepping into harms way. These troops go where they are told to and do what they are ordered to do whether or not they agreed with that order or not.

We as Americans owe more than we can pay towards the many that have died or come back from combat wounded, not only physically but mentally as well. They have been the "shield" that protects the U.S. from the violence and tyranny that has reared it's head throughout history. So as I end this post I salute those who have donned a uniform in service of the United States, with a special note of thanks to my Dad who served in the Philippines during the Korean War. God Bless to all our soldiers!!

Stickers

Met Max. He is about 6 months old and so full of energy that he is sometimes a handful. Last night after coming home from work one of the boys went out to the backyard to take the trash out. We had Max pinned out there, due to not having a fence, and Aaron came in all excited yelling to come see Max. He was literally covered from tip of his nose to his tail in grass burrs. I have grown up calling them "stickers" as did most kids I played with. It looked as if he found a patch of these stickers and rolled in them. He was covered with approximately 150-200, and it took about an hour an a half to get them out. Max was NOT a happy camper, especially as we pulled the stickers out around his head and muzzle! There was a great deal of snapping, biting, growling and general unhappiness. As we sat there untangling the stickers out of his coat, we had to pull the hairs apart to get a lot of the stickers out. A great deal of them were really embedded in the fur. He would have nothing to do with me for a couple of hours after getting all the burrs out

As we worked these stickers out it reminded me of sin and how entangle we can become in our own "sticker patches". When we choose to ignore the Holy Spirit and decide to "roll" in the sin we see as pleasure, it is actually a painful, prickly experience that embeds in our lives to cause great discomfort and pain, not to mention separation from God. Then one by one God has to "pick" these stickers (sin) out of out of our fur(our lives) which is a long and painful process. We often try to ignore God while He deals with the sin in our lives but eventually we must just sit there and let God work. We can't remove the sin in our lives, just as Max couldn't get the stickers out, but Christ can and did by paying the debt we should have paid, death. The quicker we learn to sit there and let God work on us the better off we will be.

Well, after the hour plus ordeal of pulling the stickers out and a couple of more hours of trying to ignore me, Max warmed back up and wanted to play. Hopefully when God is pulling out my stickers I will deal with it better than Max did.

"Holy Vocabulary"

I just read a review of a small group Bible study on my sister-in-law's blog http://bestofbecky.blogspot.com/2010/08/holy-vocabulary-by-michael-kelley.html that has me very intrigued.

Written by Michael Kelly, and titled "Holy Vocabulary", it was reviewed as a study on words that have been used in Christian circles so much that we may have forgotten what they actually mean. Being a history major in college and knowing that words can make all the difference in how we look at events, I am looking forward to working through this study as soon as I can. For those that do not want to wait for a review of this study can obtain copies at:
http://threadsmedia.com/store/studies/holy-vocabulary/

While the Wind Blows

A friend of mine posted this story, on Facebook, by MaryAnn Mekeel. I thought it was very good and deserved to passed along.

Can You Sleep While The Wind Blows

Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic because they dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops.As he interviewed applicants he received a steady stream of refusals. Finally, a short thin man well past middle age came and accepted the job. When the farmer asked him “Are you a good farm hand?” he responded – “Well, I can sleep when the wind blows.” Puzzled by the man’s answer but desperate for help, the farmer hired him. He proved to be a good worker.Then one night the wind howled loudly. The farmer jumped out of bed and rushed to the hired man’s quarters. He shook the little man and yelled “Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!” The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly “No sir, I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows. Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. It was then that the farmer understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

Moral of this story When you’re prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep while the wind blows through your life? The hired hand could sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm. We secure ourselves against the storms of life by grounding ourselves in the Word of God. We don’t need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the middle of storms.

Dependence

Last week while listening to David Jeremiah begin his series of radio shows on Job, he made the comment that he was "nervous" about beginning that study due to the fact that often God would lead him through a time of learning that related to his study. I sat and contemplated that this was often true. How often when we begin to read and study His word does something occur in our lives that reinforces that study.

Well, this kind of occurred yesterday evening and continued today. Yesterday's Sunday School lesson, which I had to teach, was on David and Goliath. David and Saul had to face their "giants". Last evening about 4:00 we were coming home from spending the afternoon with my mom, as I stepped into the kitchen to put some stuff up the Meneres hit full force. Vertigo hit as it has never before and the nausea was severe. This episode lasted at least six hours. As I woke up this morning I feel like I was hit by a freight train. I stayed home today still fairly dizzy but not as bad.

As I laid in bed last night I was thinking Ok God is this a Giant that I will have to face the rest of my life? Will this be a common occurrence that will interfere with work and my life? I don't know, but as I drifted off to sleep I was thinking I hope I react as David did, with a confidence that God will work through this and me for His glory, and not like Saul in fear, and turning away from God.

Words

How important are words? Can't read without them, can't talk very well without them either. What we say can have little impact, or great impact on those around us. How we say something can be as important as what we say. Back in the seventies, while I was teenager, the words of President Nixon denying Watergate eventually brought his term to an end. About ten years later President Reagan voiced the words "Mr. Gorbachev, bring down these walls!" while in Berlin. Soon thereafter the Soviet Bloc fell freeing most of Eastern Europe. What a difference in words, one resulting in shame the other in triumph.

This morning I was sitting out on our front porch watching Max (our new puppy) play as I had some tea and my quiet time. While reading in the twelfth chapter of Matthew I ran across this passage. Verses 33-37 grabbed my attention.

A Tree and Its Fruit

33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. 35 A good man produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil man produces evil things from his storeroom of evil. 36 I tell you that on the day of judgment people will have to account for every careless word they speak. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." HCSB

While Christ was chastising the Jewish religious leaders for their hypocrisy and speaking words of oppression to their fellow Jews, I also believe Jesus was warning everyone about the power of words. What we say and how we say something can edify or destroy those around us, especially those we love. How many times have I snapped at or talked in anger towards my wife or kids? Or not talked in a an appropriate, Christlike way around those I work with, damaging my testimony. In Proverbs 12:18 and Proverbs 18:21 we see what words can do.

How we talk is a part of who we are. Do we show good fruit or bad fruit as Christ tells us the passage above? I pray that I will be slower to speak and choose my words wisely in the future in order to uplift those around me, not tear them down.

Family

This weekend was the Langford family reunion in Graham TX. I have kinfolk all through the Graham, Breckenridge, and Ranger TX area. We met at one of my uncles and aunt, both siblings to my Dad, who live next to each other on Lake Graham. There were at least 90 people present at the noon dinner, the vast majority were related to my Grandma Sadie and Grandpa Minor either by blood or marriage. Of this group two brothers and one aunt were there, with my dad and one uncle having passed away. Then there were 14 (out of 16} of my 1st cousins. One cousin lives in Anchorage AK and couldn't come and one Monica Shough Beesly, passed away several years ago with cancer. There are 33(if I counted right!!LOL) great grand kids.

We spent the weekend visiting, eating and watching the kids turn themselves into prunes playing in the lake. It was a good time. As with any family we have had our trials and events that every family faces. Most good some bad, such as the loss of one of my cousin's 18 year old daughter in an auto accident just a few weeks before she was to graduate, but through it all we have stuck together, cried together, laughed together and prayed together. We have been bound by the spiritual heritage that was begun by my Grandma Sadie. One of my earliest memories was while most of her family lived here in Pampa. On Sunday mornings we would come out of Sunday school and go to "big" church, and there my Grandma would be in her seat and all my aunts, uncles, my family and cousins were all sitting on the same pew. Sometimes taking up one and half pews. Moat all of her family are born again Christians and active in our local churches. Were not perfect but we stick together. Family is a good thing!!

Israel My Israel

I have sat in contemplation of events surrounding Israel this week in a semi-disbelief. It saddens me that the rest of the world much less people here in the US, officials of our government and the media have ridiculed and blamed Israel the way they have. While, as an armchair quarterback we can sit back and critique the IDF (Israeli Defence Force) and their government, in their handling of the flotilla episode, it goes beyond that. There is a hatred for God's chosen people that has increased greatly in my lifetime. While I was not alive during WWII and the horrors that were placed on Jews, I have seen the beginnings and growth of that same hatred towards Israel and those who support her.

Israel is God's chosen nation, which is supported countless times through scriptures, and He is a jealous God over Israel. Paraphrased from many of these scripture God will "bless those that bless you and curse those that curse you" and one who does not ascribe to this belief is doomed to face God's wrath. (Just ask Pharaoh and the Egyptians!!) It is Satan's plan to destroy Israel, and God's to make it into the nation that Christ will rule the world with. The United States has always stood by Israel, but it pains me that we possibly are at a crossroad of supporting Israel or her enemies. I choose to bless Israel and would pray that we as a nation will not change our course and continue to support Israel.

To The Point

The Roman Legionnaire was one of the most formidable fighting man that history has ever known, especially at close quarters fighting. Making this possible was his equipment and armor, especially the "Gadius" or short sword. Made from iron these weapons were 20 to 24 inches in length and weighed about 21 lbs. which allowed them to be used single handed. It also was double edged for slashing or cutting, but was primarily used for thrusting stabs to the body, hence the sharp point. When combined with the scutum (shield) the Legionnaire was a formidable and efficient combatant at close quarters. While primarily a stabbing type weapon it was more than capable in slashing and cutting, even able to sever limbs.

Knowing the capabilities of the gladius, Paul included the sword as the last piece of armor in our passage. The last half of Verse 17 states "...and the sword of the Spirit, which is God's word.". God's Word, His truth, His son Christ are one and the same, and while men may deny God's word in this life and reject Jesus Christ, they will not be able so as they stand before God in judgment. In Hebrews chapter 4 verse 12 that "For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as to divide soul, spirit, joints, and marrow; it is a judge of the ideas and thoughts of the heart."

Even Satan can not refute or stand in opposition to God's words. This makes it imperative to read, study and use God's word as we fight in the spiritual war we face... Get the Point?

Plan B by Pete Wilson

Plan B, a book written by Pete Wilson and published by Thomas Nelson, covers the subject of facing difficulties in life. While I give kudos to Pete Wilson's attempt to undertake the tough questions of "why" and "what happens now", I must say that it falls short. Wilson obviously put a lot of effort into writing the book to give hope, and I did find encouragement in the book with reminders that God is always in control. I liked the Bible stories he chose to use, but he failed to point out that all too often when God brings a "plan B" it is due to our disobedience or lack of faith with His original plan. He used many stories of those under his ministry who were facing their fears and problems - perhaps a few too many of those stories rather than drawing from the rich Biblical stories in God's Word.

The humor he used in the book was awkward and felt out of place, especially the story of his son peeing in the pool. I was also concerned that he quoted Alcoholics Anonymous rather than just sticking with God's Word. There were also were two big concerns that I had as I read the text. One was that of his calling Christ's death "the ultimate Plan B", and while he did state later in the book that this was God's perfect plan, I feel it came too late in the book to offset the "second" plan ideas that in my opinion is not founded in, or is accurately interpreted scripture. The other concern involved the writer's take on Jesus' prayer in the garden and how Christ questioned his ability to handle what he was about to face. Mr. Wilson added too much personal interpretation that portrays Christ as being overwhelmed or really not wanting to participate in the crucifixion but would "do it" because God wanted it to be done that way. This could lead young Christians, or unbelievers to see Christ as not capable of following God's plan, while I believe that Christ was not only capable but willing to endure the cross because I feel He had a part in planning this path in eternity past. I believe Jesus didn't lay down his plans but that Jesus' plans were the same as His Father's since they are a part of the three in one.

While there was a good deal of positive teaching and advice, I would not feel free in recommending this to others due to the theological differences I encountered while reading.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Protecting Your Noggin

It has been almost two week, or more, since writing on the Armor of God. Much has been going on and between work and family activities, I have not made the time to continue with this blog series.

Verse 17 finishes out the Armor with "Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God's word". Today I will deal with the helmet, or as it was called in the first century a "coolus". There were many different styles and types of helmets used by the Roman army.


While they may differ in details most helmets had the crown covering the skull, a fixed band of metal about 3 to 4 inches wide, on the neck, and hinged cheek protectors that tied at the bottom to hold the coolus on. These helmets were used to protect the head, and thus the most important organ in the body. With a serious head injury the legionnaire could not perform his duties and would probably die. The coolus protected the soldier from sword, club and sling strikes and could even deflect arrows.

Paul referred to this piece of armor as our salvation. Salvation is defined as:

1. The act of saving; preservation from destruction, danger or great calamity.

2. Appropriately in theology, the redemption of man from the bondage of sin and liability to eternal death, and the conferring on him everlasting happiness. This is the great salvation

Salvation is everything, the most important aspect of our Christian lives, with the exception of the Holy Trinity, and determines our fate throughout eternity. Our salvation, was and is secured by Christ's death on the cross and the shedding of His blood. This fulfilled the blood sacrifice requirement of the Old Testament, and was a gift of grace to us as sinners.

When one accepts this this gift it is a decision that, while may be an emotional event, it is still a decision, a choice of the mind. I feel this is why Paul tied the protection of a helmet to the mind. Definition #1 fits this idea perfectly, The mind must be protected from Satan's attacks, even unto death. Lucifer would like nothing more than to destroy not only Christians but mankind in general. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 we see this design by Satan. Our salvation provides us protection, like the helmet, from "wounds" to our heads. It also protects us from the snares and traps that Satan lays along the path that God has laid before each one of us. Wearing our "helmet"(salvation) will protect our minds as we step onto the battlefield.

Relief

A couple of weeks ago I went to a ear, nose and throat specialist about the dizzy spells. The doctor diagnosed me with Meniers disease, which in a nutshell is to much fluid in your inner ear. This results in major vertigo attacks. Well as part of the exam the Dr. ordered a MRI and mentioned that he wanted to make sure there were no "growths" on the audio nerves or inner ear. It took a moment for that to sink in, but it did especially since my father died of cancer that started in his sinus cavities, under his brain. Since the inner ear is tied into the sinus cavity, more than once the comparison crossed my mind as I waited for the MRI and the results. I have prayed that whatever the outcome was I would be able to deal with it, and God at least gave me a peace this week that enabled me to not dwell on this all the time.

Well the doctor's office called today and said everything was normal. No growths or abnormalities. What a relief. I praise God for the outcome, and I know that He would have walked with me had the findings been different. Now while I still am waiting on the results of the ENG(I think) balance testing, and will have to live with the Meniers, I am thankful that God has allowed the MRI to be clear.

Psalms 119:65-72

I have been reading through Psalms in the mornings, a chapter each day. Upon reaching chapter 119 I decided to take one or two letters of the Hebrew alphabet each day. Toady's reading was verses 65 - 72 under the letter Teth, and for some reason this passage really impressed me. I ended up photocopying it and putting it on my tool box today and meditated on it. Here it is.

65 LORD, You have treated Your servant well,
just as You promised.

66 Teach me good judgment and discernment,
for I rely on Your commands.

67 Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I keep Your word.

68 You are good, and You do what is good;
teach me Your statutes.

69 The arrogant have smeared me with lies,
but I obey Your precepts with all my heart.

70 Their hearts are hard and insensitive,
but I delight in Your instruction.

71 It was good for me to be afflicted
so that I could learn Your statutes.

72 Instruction from Your lips is better for me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.


Verse 71 was the one that really hit me. Though everything I have experianced, the good, the bad and (really tempting to put "the ugly", but won't) just daily living, God is working on me. The times I grow closer to Him are usually the times that I'm "afflicted"

(Emphasis is mine)

"Do we have shields, Scotty??" "Aye, Cap'tn."

Being a Star Trek fan I have seen almost every show of not only the old series but Next Gen., DS9, and some of the Voyager series, as well as most of the feature length Star Trek films. A part of almost every show the question is asked about the status of the shields. While these are science fiction shields that protect these futuristic ships, shields have been a part of most if not all armies throughout history. Even today’s warriors wear a type of shield, the body armor vest combatants use in Iraq and Afghanistan. This was also true of the Roman soldier.

Our verse from Ephesians, verse 16 which continues the passage with "In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one." The Romans used shields as effectively as any army ever has. The first century "Scutum", Latin for shield, was approximately four foot tall and two foot wide, made of three thin layers of curved wood glued at right angles (similar to modern day plywood) covered in leather and rimmed in bronze or leather. These shields had a bronze or iron boss, a metal dome, in center and leather handles on the back side. Though mostly used as a defensive weapon the shield could be used to strike an enemy before use of the short sword. Designed to deflect arrows, lances and swords, these shields were the heart of defense for the legionnaire. The primary danger Roman soldiers faced when attacking an enemy was from pikes or lances and arrows from opposing archers. When a group of soldiers, anything from a squad on up, were together these shields could be placed side by side with edges overlapping and even held overhead to provide a very solid wall of protection for this fighting unit.


As with the legionnaire, Paul knew that Satan would and does attack us with "flaming arrows". Arrows of contempt, malice, hatred and temptation are used by Satan in his quest to "kill" mankind. We as believers must defend ourselves with the shield we call FAITH. One of Noah Webster's definitions in his 1828 dictionary on faith is:

4. Evangelical, justifying, or saving faith, is the assent of the mind to the truth of divine revelation, on the authority of God's testimony, accompanied with a cordial assent of the will or approbation of the heart; an entire confidence or trust in God's character and declarations, and in the character and doctrines of Christ, with an unreserved surrender of the will to his guidance, and dependence on his merits for salvation. In other words, that firm belief of God's testimony, and of the truth of the gospel, which influences the will, and leads to an entire reliance on Christ for salvation.

Faith is believing in what God can and does do in our lives. We all as Christians, need faith to step into the spiritual battle, if we are to survive the onslaught. Trusting God whatever come into our lives is sometimes very difficult. At these times we need to be like the Roman soldier, standing firm with our shields of faith out in front, trusting God at every turn. This may even require us to lean on our fellow brother's and sister's in Christ, interlocking our "shields" together to protect and hold up each other.

Change - Pfffft!!

If you you can't tell by the title I do not like change. (by the way that is the best way I could come up with for a raspberry). Most of us don't. Change comes into all our lives, some good, some bad, some indifferent. In my life most of the changes have been good, even though I did not want to "go down that path" in the first place. Many changes come initially as trials that I believe God allows into our lives. My sister-in-law has been blogging about this in some of her recent posts. These trials, when we approach them from a human view can be devastating, but from God's view they can mean many things.

I and my family are embarking on one of these "going down a new path" trips. Over the last several months I have had four bouts of extreme vertigo, all appearing suddenly, causing me to have to sit or lie extremely still (mainly due to being able to look up much less stand), and on two occasions having nausea. The first of these episodes occurred at work in Feb. and resulted in a trip to the ER. There they ran a catscan, EKG, X-ray and complete lab work, looking into a heart attack. No heart attack, which is a good thing, but the ER doctor said he didn't know unless it was an inner ear infection, which he ruled out due to blood work done. He then walked out and I went on with life.

Some of the symptoms, other than the vertigo, I have had for over a year. Loss of hearing in one ear, ringing and fullness like that of changing altitude but without being able to pop my ears. I just figured it was due to being exposed to loud noises off and on my entire life. After having the knee surgery, I have had three more episodes and decided I had better get to my dr.

Dr. Powell sent me to a nose, ear and throat specialist today, and he diagnosed me with Menieres disease. This is actually a syndrome and not a disease, but in a nutshell one has too much fluid in their inner ear. The medical world does not know what causes it, there is no cure and you can only treat the symptoms, which are dizziness, vertigo, hearing loss, inner ear pressure, tinnitus and nausea. (We found a lot of info on http://www.menieres-disease.ca/index.htm)

"Attacks" occur suddenly and last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours, with after effects lasting up to several hours more. Mine have been 1-2 hours long. I will be having and MRI and an ENG balance test to confirm the diagnosis, but the Dr. said he was sure that is what I have. I am going into this with a positive attitude, knowing this will be a challenge but at least it is not lethal and it is not hereditary. Knowing the attacks can start in a matter of seconds does add "spice" to everyday activities such as driving, working and even walking, but should not interfere with most things. On a lighter side, at least Sandra and the kids have had some practice, due to being immobile from my knee surgery. :)

I don't have a clue what God's fixing to change in me or my family but with His help and guidance, I hope that I keep listening and don't try to step off the "path" too often.

Getting a Foot up.

What do you wear on your feet? Most of the time I wear steel toed work boots due to working in a manufacturing machine shop. Footwear is important depending on what you are doing. Runners have track or running shoes, mountain climbers wear boots with crampons for ice, fishermen wear rubber boots to protect them from water, and our military personnel wear combat boots made for all aspects of being a soldier. Verse 15 continues our passage with "and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace."

The same is true for the Roman soldier. He had to have footwear that was appropriate for the job set before him as a combatant for the Roman Empire. That empire was vast covering most of what we know of Europe, including much of England, most of North Africa, much of the Middle East and at it height as far east as modern day Iran. Due to the vastness of this empire Rome built one of best road systems that rivals many third world countries in modern times. It covered the empire from east to west, and these roads were used to move the Roman Legions where they were needed. All travel was by ox cart, on horse or in most cases by walking.



As you can see form the map that to move a legion would entail a great deal of walking for the legionnaire, and he would have to have the right shoes for travel not to mention for battle. The Roman soldier wore a shoe or sandal called "Caligae" that was a early precursor to modern combat boots. Caligae were made of leather cut in a shape that allowed them to be lace up around the ankle, with a heavy sole that had iron studs in the bottom for traction.
The iron studs and heavy duty soles not only allowed for better traction, but enabled the caligae to last longer not needing replacement as often as regular sandals. He had to have better traction than his opponent in order to win the battle. The legionnaire had to firmly plant his feet, along with his fellow soldiers, to endure the oncoming charge of the enemy both as a group or in single combat.

We as followers of Christ are told, as part of our armor, to have "your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace." Just as the Roman soldier had to have his boots on and ready for his assignments, so must we. The Gospel of Christ or "Good News" is THE only thing that can bring peace to our lives or our world. A peace not only that we will have eternal salvation and be with Christ and His Father our God, but a peace that is with us in every trial, temptation and event that enters our lives. We must be ready to spread that gospel by every means available, ready to dig in and resist the assault of our enemy, Satan. By having the Gospel of Peace we have sure footing in God's truth as our "ground" to stand as we step into our spiritual battle.

Photo of Caligae from www.legionxxiv.org and map from www.makedonija.info/roman.gif

Heritage

A break from my armor blogs. Family heritage can be a good or bad thing depending on what is in your "family tree". One of my aunts, on my dad's side has been gathering family info for our tree. She sent us a letter with current family info to make sure it was correct before adding it to her documents. Some of the extra info she sent involves my grandpa's (Minor Langford) mom, my great grandmother. Her maiden name was Sara Ella O'Bannon. Following the family trail back four generations her great-great grandfather was Brian O'Bannon. This is where it gets pretty cool. He was born c. 1740 at Fauquier County, Virginia. During the American Revolution he lived in the Saliabury District (Surry County), North Carolina. As a resident of this district he was part of the North Carolina effort in the war, as a soldier. By the info sent by my aunt his "serial#" was A085505, and was on paid military duty. Later in life he moved to the Salistoney District (Washington County) Georgia where he died in 1805

Wearing the "Right" thing.

The next piece of armor that the Roman legionnaire wore as listed in Eph. chapter 6 is a breastplate or "Lorica Segmentata". Verse 14b tells us to wear "...righteousness like armor on your chest".

Breastplate armor and the helmet, other than offensive weapons, were the most important parts of a soldiers array. The breastplate covered the torso protecting the vital organs. Lorica Segmentata is actually a medieval term used to describe the armor that in Latin is "lamina" (metal) and "lames" (segments}. As shown in the picture this armor covered the torso and shoulders of the soldier. It was constructed of metal strips tied together and attached to a leather vest, coming into use during 1st century. Some legionaries wore a early type of chain mail under the breastplate. This armor was designed not only to protect the torso from weapons, but to allow freedom of movement. While a Roman soldier could be wounded on his extremities, survive and possible even keep on fighting, a wound to the torso would be fatal in most cases.

Righteousness is defined by Webster as "acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin". By Christ's blood we have been deemed righteous, and living a righteous life allows us not only to be "free from guilt", it helps keep us from sin. We are told "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; by His wounding you have been healed." I Peter 2:24. While we cannot, due to our fallen nature, remain sinless living a righteous life through Christ we have the protection of God's armor. Like armor righteousness deflects the weapons of Satan temptation, guilt and accusations. The breastplate protects our spiritual "torso" as we fight, deflecting spiritual weapons just as it protected the Roman from real weapons. With proper "maintenance"(bible study and prayer) righteousness as armor will help shield us from sin.

Isaiah 59:16-18 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
16 He saw that there was no man—
He was amazed that there was no one interceding; (A)
so His own arm brought salvation,
and His own righteousness supported Him.

17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on His head; (B)
He put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and He wrapped Himself in zeal as in a cloak. (C)

18 Thus He will repay according to [their] deeds: (D)
fury to His enemies,
retribution to His foes,
and He will repay the coastlands.

Photo from http://www.legionxxiv.org/loricapage/

Holding it Together

Verse 14a, chapter 6 in Eph. states "Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist". The legionnaire wore a belt called the "Balteus" also know as a "Cingulum". A Roman soldier would begin fitting out for battle with his tunic, which was red or white. This tunic was either sleeveless or sleeved depending on climate, and reached below the knee when unbelted. Once the balteus was put on it brought the tunic in close to the body at the waist and above the knees.


These belts were valuable possessions for the soldier, and was as ornate as one could afford. Belteus' were made of leather with metal medallions attached and often with a strap that went over the shoulder. The front had a apron, called the "sporran", was made of leather with medallions hanging over the groin, but these were more for decoration than protection. On the left side the soldier wore a dagger, with the right side holding the sheath for the "gladius" or short combat sword. Once the belteus was on,not only did the legionnaire have a platform to hang weapons from but it bound up the tunic. This allowed the soldier to maneuver freely, whether marching, running or in combat. The Belteus held the uniform together!

For Christians the "Belteus" is truth. God's Truth! It is unswerving, unmovable and more reliable than ANYTHING we can lean on. It is what holds the Holy Bible together from Genesis to The Revelations, and it is what holds us together. Just as in Roman armor, truth binds our "armor" together. It binds our "tunic"(our salvation) together and provides the "ornamental sporran" that draws the world's attention to our witness. Without God's truth nothing else in our uniform matters. God is God and He is truth. In John 1:14 we see that "The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." and John 1:17 "for although the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." We must believe in and trust in God's truth if we are going to dress for battle with the rest of His armor. Truth holds it together.

Photo's from http://www.legionxxiv.org/equipment/

Putting on Armor

The last several days I have had the passage concerning spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6:10-19, on my mind. With events happening daily around us, I see this conflict becoming more "out in the open". With all the natural and man made disasters occurring with greater frequency, events leading us to the Lord's return are more evident than ever. Are we as Christians ready for what lies before us? Are we ready for war?

While this warfare is spiritual, this history inclined writer deals with concepts much better when putting the text into historical context. Paul and the other writers of the New Testament wrote in way that reflected their world, not ours. So as I have meditated over these verses, I wanted to look at the words from the point of view a 1st century believer would have seen it.

The early church, or for that matter anyone in the 1st century AD, would have seen many Roman soldiers, and what he wore into battle. The known world during this time period knew what the Romans were capable of and equipped to do. Paul used this knowledge to show the church how to step into the spiritual fray and survive.

The Roman soldier of the first century was trained and equipped like no other warrior in their world. Highly disciplined they were both feared and respected as combatants. As you can see from the diagram a legionnaire was outfitted for battle. First there is the belt, or "Balteus". It binds the tunic close to the body and provides a place to put the dagger and "gladius" or short sword. Next in the passage is the armor on your chest(breastplate in some verses)which was called the "Lorica Segmentata". Verse 15 tells us to sandal our feet with readiness, which were "caligae" the military style boot worn by legionnaires. Next we have the shield called the "scutum". Verse 17 rounds out the list of armor with the helmet of salvation, the "coolus" and the sword of the spirit, as mentioned earlier, the "gladius".

In following blogs I will go into each piece of armor and how it was used by the Roman soldier and more importantly how it applies to us as we fight our war.

New to the blog scene

Every one in my family are starting up blogs. I thought I would set one up and see what it is like. Hope you find it enjoyable and entertaining.