My dad wrote this on 03.12.2000. I was missing my dad this afternoon. I turned to his writings to help me and to be encouraged with his words. His writings will also encourage you to turn the Lord in trouble times.
Matt 10:1
“And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”
In my earlier years, I remember my parents traveled wherever they could find work. The traveling pattern I remembered was going from Texas, to Oklahoma, and on to California returning back to Texas towards the end of the year. I heard much talk about earlier years on how they would travel from Texas, Illinois and to Florida. I know it may sound like my parents had money to travel, but the real traveling reason was they were migrant workers desperately looking to support the family in any word of work they heard or overheard. Many things happened in this time frame to my family. Some good, but a lot of mishaps where disease, death, and many desperate unwelcome situations occurred as the result of traveling. You would think my family would have stop the traveling as a result, the reason they continued to travel as a result, but the reason they continued was survival. My family finally settled in California when my dad was forced to stop working because of his bad back and age has slowly crept up on both of my parents.
The words death, disease and despair all seem to relate strongly to destruction and doom which comes from the pit of the devil. Jesus knew that in order for the gospel to continue, his disciples would have to overcome adversities such as unclean spirits (demon in people) sickness, and disease. It is funny how the Lord broke out sickness from disease. You would think they are in the same, but in reality one is the progression of the other. Managers in all corporations, partnerships and small proprietary business give power to deal all the areas of business. Here, Jesus gives power to his disciples in these three main areas of business of the gospel.
Was this authority only to the twelve or was it to include you and me? Many have missed the mark of the gospel because they failed to include the authority of Jesus. Thousands followed Jesus everywhere not because they failed to include the authority of Jesus. Thousands followed Jesus everywhere not because of they needed consultation to put their corporate leaders in the right course or to inspire managers to produce higher sales, less expenses, greater gains with less efforts but these masses of folks followed Jesus because they needed to witness these miracles for themselves or needed a healing miracle for them or a loved one.
T.L. Osborn talks about how he went to India in his first missionary trip only to find that he was well regarded just like any other powerless religion. He and his wife returned home feeling somewhat disappointed regarding their trip because their Jesus was not regarded as the messiah he knew and had accepted. His vision totally changed when they witnessed a minister holding a revival where the people with sickness, diseases, and with unclean spirits were delivered and both he and his wife re-read all the New Testament with a whole new light where God was speaking to the Osborns as well as the disciples. After this, their ministry in India flourished because they started putting their faith in action by praying for the sick, diseased and with spirits believing for their healing with signs and wonders just like it says in Mark 16:2- “And they went fourth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, death, disease, despair hit my family when we did not know the power of God through the authority of Jesus words. Do not only know God’s word gives you authority over any adversary where it death, disease, or despair, but put this authority into action in your life as well as everyone around you! We overcome death when we accept and serve Jesus in our hearts guaranteeing a place in heaven FOREVER! Multiple the gospel by knowing and applying God’s delegated authority over destruction from the devil which comes at us seeking to devour and destroy us through any mean he has previously doctrine us to accept.
BE READY! As My father signed ( Dan Rodriguez)
New International Version (NIV)
“16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
