“Copy That” and “Roger That”

In the military, terminology used in communications have very specific meanings. For example, “copy that” indicates confirmation that a message or transmission has been received while “roger that” implies the message has been understand and action will be initiated. Both replies are important to the commander who is sending the communication. The same is true for Warriors of Christ who are sent messages from our Commander, Jesus Christ.

What are those messages? They are are the truths written in the Bible – the logos, or written instructions to us. They are the truths spoken (rhema) to us by Him who is the Word – through what He reveals to us in multiple ways through the Holy Spirit Who resides within us, and through others from whom He speaks to us.

A commander gives commands. When asked, Jesus, our Commander, said:

Mark 12:29-31 (NLT) “The most important commandment is this…The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally as important: Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.”

Warrior, do you “copy that” and “roger that”? How can you be sure that you are receiving and understanding and acting on this message?

1 John 2:3-6 (NLT) “And we can be sure that we know Him if we obey His commandments. If someone claims, ‘I know God,’ but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love Him. That is how we know we are living in Him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.“

What did Jesus do in His life on earth that we should also do? Here is a list of just some of what He did:

• Sought the Father, even from childhood (Luke 2:49)
• Grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52)
• Was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-12; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:1-2; Luke 4:18-19)
• Baptized disciples and believers in the Holy Spirit (John 1:32-34; John 15:26; John 21:22; Acts 1:4-8)
• Knew Scripture and taught with authority (Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:21-22)
• Determined to do the will of the Father (John 4:34; Luke 22:41-42)
• Taught the Scriptures, proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom, healed every kind of disease and sickness, proclaimed release to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, set free those who are downtrodden, proclaimed the favorable year of the Lord (Matthew 5:23; Mark 3:10-12; Mark 6:56; Luke 4:18-19, 43)
• Cast out demons (Matthew 8:28-34; Matthew 9:32-34, Luke 4:33-37)
• Gave His disciples authority to cast out unclean spirits, to heal every kind of disease and sickness, to preach, to raise the dead, to cleanse lepers, and to cast out demons, to tread on serpents and scorpions unharmed and over all the power of the enemy (Matthew 10:1, 7-8; Mark 6:7; Luke 10:19)
• Had great compassion for others (Matthew 9:12-13, 36; Matthew 14:14; Matthew 15:32-39; Matthew 20:30-34; Mark 2:40-42)
• Gave us words of spirit and of life (John 6:63)
• Exuded uncommon wisdom and miraculous power (Matthew 13:54-58; Matthew 22:23-46; Luke 4:32)
• Rested and prayed (Matthew 14:13, 22-23; Mark 6:31-32; Mark 14:32-42; John 17)
• Rebuked wind and weather (Luke 8:22-25)
• Expressed righteous anger (Matthew 21:12-13)
• Came to serve and not to be served (Mark 10:45)
• Declared that from believers’ innermost being would flow living water (Holy Spirit) (John 7:38-39)
• Assured us that those who believe in Him will do the same works and greater works (John 14:12)
• Warned of perilous times to come and of His glorious return (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 17:22-37; Luke 21:10-36; John 16)

So, I ask again… Warrior, do you “copy that” and “roger that”? Are you living your life as Jesus did?

Jesus chose to lay down His life for us and to take it up again (John 10:17-18) so that we can have eternal life (John 3:16) and be empowered through the indwelling Holy Spirit to live as He did here on earth. This makes us today’s vessels for bringing heaven to earth as we cooperate with the Spirit within us. Determine to be that vessel and to live as Jesus did, Warrior!