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       #Post#: 7719--------------------------------------------------
       Death by Snakes
       By: coldwar Date: June 10, 2014, 7:56 am
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       Many deaths have been reported among snake handling churches:
  HTML http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_handling
       There are many more long articles on the 'net concerning this
       practice, and now even a reality TV show about it... Are these
       people tempting God?
       #Post#: 7723--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Death by Snakes
       By: Brad Date: June 10, 2014, 11:31 am
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       Of course they are.   Being bitten by one by accident and
       surviving a deadly bite is one thing, but the apostles didnt
       show off by playing with them to impress others with their
       faith.
       #Post#: 7733--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Death by Snakes
       By: Runner Date: June 10, 2014, 9:48 pm
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       Agree Brad...Romans tells us that faith comes by hearing...I
       don't for one moment believe that God spoke that to them.   God
       doesn't need snake charmers fooling around to show " their" own
       self-righteousness by handling snakes!! Those people are after
       there own glory, not God's.
       Pride comes before a fall...sadly, for some of them.
       #Post#: 7740--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Death by Snakes
       By: James Date: June 11, 2014, 3:43 am
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       I wonder how people can be so stupid.
       How can they square the Gospels with such an outlandish idea,
       yet they do.
       What I find odd in the extreme is that once people, noticeable
       the leaders, start to die from the snakes bite that the rest of
       the"believers" do not stop believing.
       How well does the old serpent transform himself into the Angel
       of light.
       #Post#: 7746--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Death by Snakes
       By: coldwar Date: June 11, 2014, 7:02 am
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       ... and how stupefying are the effects of religion.
       The Bible reading about picking up snakes and drinking poison,
       if it even really exists at all, could have a deeper meaning. It
       could be that with the Spirit of Christ in our lives, we can
       work and live alongside pure evil people and they cannot harm
       us, or "take in" evil words and ultimately not fall because of
       them.
       #Post#: 7748--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Death by Snakes
       By: James Date: June 11, 2014, 8:35 am
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       Amen!  That almost goes without saying, for good can not be
       overcome of evil.
       #Post#: 7754--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Death by Snakes
       By: Leaf Date: June 11, 2014, 2:11 pm
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       [quote]The Bible reading about picking up snakes and drinking
       poison, if it even really exists at all, could have a deeper
       meaning. It could be that with the Spirit of Christ in our
       lives, we can work and live alongside pure evil people and they
       cannot harm us, or "take in" evil words and ultimately not fall
       because of them.[/quote]
       I agree.
       I like the deeper meanings. Yet, I came across a literal meaning
       several months back while studying Psalm 91 and I read that the
       word 'drink' could mean: 'anything taken inside you'. I found
       that to be comforting when considering the manufacturing of our
       food, quality of air and water, all the chemicals that surround
       us and etc.
       Thank you, Lord for all of your promises.
       #Post#: 7755--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Death by Snakes
       By: Leaf Date: June 11, 2014, 2:18 pm
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       [quote]I wonder how people can be so stupid.
       How can they square the Gospels with such an outlandish idea,
       yet they do.
       What I find odd in the extreme is that once people, noticeable
       the leaders, start to die from the snakes bite that the rest of
       the"believers" do not stop believing.
       How well does the old serpent transform himself into the Angel
       of light.[/quote]
       Hi James :)
       It's nearly unbelievable what people will come up with.
       Ah, well... other than the instruction to believe in Him who God
       has sent (John 6:29 ), we merely need to love them who believe
       these outlandish, to us, things. Maybe that is why the snakes
       are handled? It is easier than loving one another as Christ
       instructed?
       Maybe? Could be? I don't know.
       #Post#: 7756--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Death by Snakes
       By: Kerry Date: June 11, 2014, 2:55 pm
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       [quote author=Leaf link=topic=763.msg7754#msg7754
       date=1402513869]
       I agree.
       I like the deeper meanings. Yet, I came across a literal meaning
       several months back while studying Psalm 91 and I read that the
       word 'drink' could mean: 'anything taken inside you'. I found
       that to be comforting when considering the manufacturing of our
       food, quality of air and water, all the chemicals that surround
       us and etc.
       Thank you, Lord for all of your promises.
       [/quote]That is similar to something Holy Brother said once.  He
       did not think the "forbidden fruit" was something Adam and Eve
       ate with their physical mouths, but rather a form of
       consciousness that had been "out there" until they brought it
       inside them.
       Interestingly enough, Mark 16:18 is not in all the oldest
       manuscripts.  It may have been added by a later hand.   I still
       like it however.   I read it to mean the followers of Jesus
       would be reversing the fall from Eden.
       Mark 16:18 They shall take up serpents;
       More important to pick up the spiritual serpent without harm
       than some physical serpent.
       and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them;
       This tells me that the fruit of the Knowledge of the Tree of
       Good and Evil will not harm those who follow Jesus.
       they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
       While I have no doubt God can heal physical ailments if that be
       His Will, I read this spiritually also.  The spiritually sick
       will recover.
       There are some who say all followers of Jesus must handle
       physical serpents since the text says, "they shall take up
       serpents."   But I ask them then why they don't go into a
       hospital and heal everyone in the place?   The text "promises"
       that they "shall recover."   IF they're going to take the first
       part literally in a physical way, why not the last part too?
       #Post#: 7757--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Death by Snakes
       By: Kerry Date: June 11, 2014, 3:00 pm
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       [quote author=James link=topic=763.msg7740#msg7740
       date=1402476236]
       I wonder how people can be so stupid.
       How can they square the Gospels with such an outlandish idea,
       yet they do.
       What I find odd in the extreme is that once people, noticeable
       the leaders, start to die from the snakes bite that the rest of
       the"believers" do not stop believing.
       How well does the old serpent transform himself into the Angel
       of light.
       [/quote]The man who made this popular died himself of a snake
       bite.  George Went Hensley
  HTML http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Went_Hensley
       was a colorful
       character.   He was very much a drunk and was  arrested on
       moonshine charges in Tennessee during Prohibition.   Married
       four times, divorced three times.      His life would make a
       great movie.
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