Dear friends:
Have you read the news of the snake handler pastor Jamie Coots died by snake bites?
These update links are even more frustrated for me to read.
Snake handlers' belief is unshaken by snakebite death of pastor Jamie Coots
Indeed, it is harmful to have a blind faith like they do. Believing in fake religions is very harmful because it robs one the eternal bliss to be with our Creator God in eternity. They based their faith on last add-on section of Mark 16:17-18 literally. ( it is obviously an add-on because the original copies of the Book of Mark lost its ending of chap. 16.( that is one of the rare cases in NT Bible.) ) Furthermore, I believe snake in that particular quote should be taken as representing Satan. ( see the following Bible verse)
When Jesus said to His disciples, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19"Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you...( Luke 10:19) He is obviously implying serpents and scorpions as metaphors for Satan and demons.
When Jesus said to His disciples, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. 19"Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will injure you...( Luke 10:19) He is obviously implying serpents and scorpions as metaphors for Satan and demons.
Some extra clip from the following link
...Coots belonged to a small circle of Pentecostal Holiness pastors who take this passage from the Bible's Gospel of Mark literally: “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
Since those words are said to be spoken by Jesus, pastors like Coots take them as divine commandments. But there are other spiritual reasons to handle serpents, practitioners say, often describing the dangerous rituals as a mental and emotional rush, as if they were touching the hand of God.
"They almost always use drug metaphors, like 'higher than any high you can experience," said Paul Williamson, a professor of psychology at Henderson State University in Arkansas who studies serpent handlers.
At the same time, they are extremely careful with the serpents, Williamson said, only allowing those who live sin-free lives and have been "anointed" by the Holy Spirit to handle the snakes. "There's death in that box," pastors often warn the congregation before services start...
It happened the other night I just read this following Bible verse while I was doing my Bible study homework. You wouldn't think there is a Bible verse like this, right? Or maybe you do.
1 Corinthians 10:9
Furthermore, when Satan quoted the Bible to tempt Jesus to jump down from the pinnacle of the temple, Jesus refused and told him not to tempt or not to test the Lord. I think those believers are testing the Lord! It is also very dangerous to quote Bible out of context because Satan can quote Bible too.
These snake handlers thought they were showing their strong faith, I think they are doing a stunt show and to show off their great faith; that is not praiseworthy but stupid. According to the news report, they also got a high, handling the poisonous snakes. I am so sad about this kind of practices in the name of showing faith. Indeed God has rescued His faithful servants from many kind of dangers; Paul was not harmed by poisonous snake and Daniel was unhurt by lions but none of them seek the danger actively and purposely, especially, Daniel was innocent and was persecuted to be thrown into lions' den. Therefore these Bible verses never mean to encourage us to seek dangers like handling snakes for a faith show off.
Below is the reference to Satan's quoting Bible to tempt Jesus.
(Matt. 4:5 Then the Devil took Him to the holy city,[b] had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
He will give His angels orders concerning you,
and they will support you with their hands
so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone.”[c]
and they will support you with their hands
so that you will not strike
your foot against a stone.”[c]
7 Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”)
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