Customer Reviews

Take Up The Shield: COMPARING THE UNIFORM OF THE POLICE OFFICER and THE ARMOR OF GOD

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From time to time, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) Chaplain Tony Miano tells the famously funny "dog bite" story friends and supporters of 10-4 Ministries are familiar with. It is one of a few in this Deputy's life that reveals the heart of this down to earth and amicable Police Chaplain as he traverses the hazardous road of a Christian in law enforcement. As director of 10-4 Ministries, Chaplain Tony has now crafted another outstanding spiritual resource to add to the war bag of the Christian community in the field.

Chaplain Tony's new book, "Take Up The Shield," a unique publication that compares the various pieces of law enforcement equipment to the spiritual armor that the Bible describes in Ephesians chapter 6, further reveals the heart of a Christian man who has learned through experience in this dangerous field the critical importance of "putting on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (Eph 6:11) What is uncommon about this distinctive publication, where most are written by retirees drawing off past experience, Chaplain Tony works more than 120 hours a month as an active duty patrol deputy and serves as chaplain-ministering to the needs of peace officers, on the streets.

As a non-sworn member of the community in support of the LE community, with active duty cops who are dear friends and corresponding with many across the nation as they face myriad challenges, knowing a hard-charger like Chaplain Tony is out in a radio car and immediately accessible to the men and women of the LASD is a great blessing. Too many cops do not have access to experienced ministers like Chaplain Tony. "Take Up The Shield" will be a great ministry resource in lieu of that.

What is more, this book is not written so much by a cop, but by a Christian who is Spirit-filled and not ashamed to share his faith and point people to the Lord Jesus as Savior. From a suspect in the back of his patrol car, to a first time youth offender being delivered into the custody of his parents at the front desk of the station, Chaplain Tony exercises personal initiative in exploiting every opportunity to present the Gospel to those most in need. It was the Lord Who said, "...They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick." (Luke 5:31) The Christian men and women of law enforcement are, more than anyone else in the Born Again, Spirit filled Church, on the point in dealing with the corruption and despair of American society, and that being so, are critical players in the ongoing, daily outreach to this society by the Spirit of God. Chaplain Tony, in "Take Up The Shield," models that beautifully.

That being said, Chaplain Tony's book is a wonderful ministry resource for anyone to put into the hands of someone they know who is facing trials and hard times. Someone who has "been there, done that" in the daily mental and spiritual combat of contending with contemporary life in America, like Deputy Miano, is qualified to counsel anyone, in law enforcement or not, in prevailing through applying the spiritual truths of the Bible and the promises of God to overcome. Furthermore, a lot of the conflict in our society between law enforcement and the citizenry they are sworn to protect is the lack of communication and understanding between the two camps. Law enforcement is an exclusive, isolated field, a mysterious, dangerous career choice that many citizens don't fully understand. That mystery leaves a vacuum of understanding in the minds of many people when law enforcement is thrust into the national media spotlight during controversial times and events, a vacuum that exploiters and special interest groups are more than willing to fill up with lies. Chaplain Tony's approachable and good natured tone tears down those walls.

Finally, Chaplain Tony challenges the reader to examine their heart and consider their personal relationship with the Lord, and if lacking, to come into that personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and be saved. Ultimately, that is the final question, for Police officers and private citizens alike. "Take Up The Shield" will prove to be invaluable as an evangelical tool in the hands of those who will follow Chaplain Tony's lead in answering the great commission of our Lord to, "...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)

I greatly enjoyed "Take Up The Shield." It really drives home some points I've felt strongly about for a number of years. In the past when I shared with other officers, I normally took them to Eph. 6 to show how the Lord has spoken through Paul's writing of how we need to prepare ourselves for our daily battles. It will be a pleasure to share this book with others. I pray it will continue to touch hearts for Christ, and help those who know him but haven't been looking to him in their lives.

I would highly recommend this book for any law enforcement officer who may be struggling with the question of "Is it okay to be both a Cop and Christian?" Chaplain Tony uses humor and real-life police on-the-job experiences to help explain his own spirituality and how anyone can accomplish the same. A GREAT READ!

Michael Dye
[...]

For me this book was so good I did not want it to end. So I read it slowly and let the words sink in each day as I learned more and more about how to be a better Christian. It was awe inspiring and very well supported with relevant scripture and great stories about real life as a LA County Sheriff Chaplain. Hats off, Tony for an excellent work of prose at its best.

I read this book last night and was just going to read a chapter, but before I knew it, an hour and a half was gone! I couldn't put it down. This book is incredible. It should be in the hands of every person who has a hard time grasping the concept of faith. The analogy and comparison is something that a person can really relate to. I'm sorry that I didn't read it long ago; I think it would've helped me to understand some things. I'm so thankful to Tony for putting all of it on paper and in black and white. God has certainly blessed him. I will be going into street ministry with my church and will be able to use the things that I read in this book. I'm grateful for the inspiration and understanding.

Wonderful book! Great practical illustrations for the spiritual truths. Clear and concise allowing us to really be able to understand how to apply the full armor of GOD to our everyday lives. I am going to get a copy to send to my nephew. He is a marine being deployed for the first time. I think it will translate well to the military also. Thanks Tony for a wonderful book and your selfless service. Thanks also to your family for their support of you.

I bought this for our son who is in the police academy. Since I check all spiritual reading for Scriptural soundness before passing it on, I set out to skim it (carefully ;-) -- and quickly decided to read the whole thing word for word. EXCELLENT! Even bought a used copy to keep. Check on YouTube for Tony's channel [...] and use his name, Tony Miano, to search YouTube for more.

I purchased this book as a graduation gift for a young man in our congregation who is hoping to begin the police academy soon. Miano writes as both a lawman and a chaplain, wearing two hats in his life's work.

Miano entered the academy as a nominal Christian. His faith was surface-level, at best. It didn't take long until someone taught him more about Jesus and everything began to change.

The book parallels the uniform of a peace officer and the armor of Christ in Ephesians 6. It is filled with scripture and anecdotes about those tools and is an easy read. The ideal reader would be any young person interested in law enforcement. Miano keeps his head on straight and is a straight shooter. You'll enjoy this work. It's not overly deep. If you're looking for a research tome on Ephesians 6, you're looking in the wrong place. If you're looking for something to encourage a future police officer to walk the right path, you'll do well here.

Take Up the Shield is a great study on a famous passage of Scripture, that of Ephesians 6: 10-17. Although numerous studies have been written on this topic, this one is unique in that Chaplain Miano adeptly compares the Police Officer's uniform to that of the Armor of God so beautifully illustrated by the Apostle Paul in his letter (Epistle) to the Ephesians.

Christians and non-Christians will appreciate this book. Tony Miano is a great story-teller with a heart of compassion. Throughout the book, Mr. Miano weaves in personal stories from his home and work-life to which many people will relate. So as not to "spoil" any of your enjoyment when you read this book, I won't comment on his days at the Academy!

Mr. Miano also weaves in stories about fallen officers and the dangers that our heroes face, whether they are law enforcement officers or our military personnel. If you are not connected to the law enforcement community, you may not appreciate the dangers that they face on a daily basis. I for one am very thankful to have Officers like Tony Miano and his colleagues out there on a daily basis.

In this book, Tony, is not ashamed of sharing the Gospel message and boldly declares it, demonstrating his great compassion in the process. This book would make a great gift and an encouragement for anyone involved in law enforcement. I plan to have several copies to hand out to thank the police officers that I encounter! Oh, and for those of us who know little of the profession, it is an eye-opening book that provides examples you won't see dramatized of TV!

This book is an excellent inspiration for a Christian law enforcement officer. The author does a very good job at comparing God's armor to the equipment of a police officer. I am glad I read it.