“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.” Mark 16:17,18.
Sadly, people have twisted, misused and misunderstood the Word of God for centuries. This past week was no different.
“When you feel the anointing and God moves on you to take up serpents, even if one of ‘em lays fangs into you, you shall not be harmed…” Andrew Hamblin, co-star of Snake Salvation.
Jamie Coots, the star of reality TV’s “Snake Salvation” series, died on February 15 at his home after being bitten by a rattlesnake during a church service. He refused medical treatment because he had been bitten before and eventually recovered.
This time he was not so fortunate.
This particular group calls themselves “Pentecostal”, but Pentecostals are one of the fastest growing religious groups in the world (and encompass many different beliefs within this “name tag”) and they are NOT snake-handlers. Snake Salvation church is a very unusual and very isolated group of people that practice something that is illegal in most states! How they continue to operate is mind-boggling and then to idolize the practice on cable television is even more baffling.
In 1995 a 28 year old woman at the same church died from a rattlesnake bite. They tried to prosecute the church, but the judge eventually put forth this statement: “If the court thought that a trial would act to deter future snake handling in church, my decision would be different. But you and I both know that this practice is not going to stop until either rattlesnakes or snake handlers become extinct.” Judge James Bowling, Jr.
How tragic that the Word of God can be taken so out of context and people so easily “follow the leader”, many times to their deaths.
Remember Jim Jones? Some may be too young to go back to 36 years ago, when 912 “followers” of preacher Jim Jones lost their lives after he instructed them to drink grape Kool-Aid laden with poison. His followers were betrayed and misled by a man that was convinced he was Jesus.
It is shocking and sad that so many can be so easily deceived by one man.
Rasputin was such a man…and such a deceiver. You may have never heard of him but he was quite famous around the turn of the 20th century.
Grigori Rasputin was born in either in 1869 or 1872, depending on which site you trust, in Russia during the era of czars and nobles who ruled, and owned, most of the land and its wealth. Mr. Average Russian was very poor.
At the end of the Russian Revolution in 1905, Nicholas II was in power. Nicholas had a bad habit of listening to his wife, Alexandra, instead of important dignitaries. Alexandra was not trusted by the Russian people because she was born in Germany, Russia’s World War I enemy.
Enter Rasputin, who some in Russia called “the Mad Monk”, although he was not a monk at all. He was simply a peasant, but he easily convinced people that he was a “holy man”. Nicholas and Alexandra fell for his influence when he supposedly “healed” their only son, Alexis, of hemophilia.
It was believed that Rasputin ran the country through Tsarina Alexandra…and the Russians were not happy. Nicholas was too weak to stand up to his wife since she strongly believed Rasputin had much to do with her son’s recovery. If he opposed her it would appear he did not love his son.
Rasputin never even spoke in public! But Alexandra was certain he was a true “Man of God”, even though it was quite commonly known he led an immoral lifestyle.
But popularity doesn’t mean that Truth is involved.
Many were convinced that Rasputin was a “holy man” when he definitely wasn’t what he appeared to be. He was eventually murdered in order to try to gain back control of the country.
Truly the death of Jamie Coots is a tragedy that should never have happened. God is surely grieved when people misinterpret the scripture! The one verse in the Bible that Coots and his followers “hang their hat on” never meant for people to go out and literally pick up snakes. The verse is simply referring to the POWER of Almighty God to protect His people.
Jesus did not “handle snakes”, nor did His disciples, and His Word never instructs US to do so.
Can God protect someone who is bitten by a rattlesnake and they recover? Of course He can! He is God! He did such a thing for Paul when he gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire and a venomous snake grabbed hold of him. “And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.” Acts 28:3.
But Paul didn’t follow that incident by boxing up a nest of snakes and taking them back to the church and tempting fate and death by letting them crawl all over him.
We should never tempt God! The children of Israel tried this time and time again when they were wandering in the wilderness. “They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved.” Psalm 78:18.
Our emphasis and focus is not on tempting God! The Snake Salvation church, and the people involved, may be sincere in their efforts but are missing the point and the purpose of The Church.
Every word should be measured against the Word of God. If it cannot be backed up by scripture it is false doctrine. The Book of Acts is full of examples of what The Church is to look like, emulate and demonstrate.
The true Church should be involved in Going, Preaching, making Disciples, and then sending those new disciples out to do the same.
The true Church should be all about SOULS and reaching as many as possible with The Gospel: The Good News that Jesus Christ came, lived, loved and gave His life for every single one of us. He then rose from the dead so that we might do the same and live eternally with Him.
God help us all to be aware of those that fall into false doctrine and and cause others to do the same.
Until He returns, we are to be about our Father’s business in loving, serving and sharing Truth.
Sharing with Titus 2sdays, Testimony Tuesday, Women Helping Women, Sharing His Beauty, The Gathering Spot, Modest Mondays, Walking Redeemed, Word Filled Wednesday, Wedded Wednesday, Little R & R, A Wise Woman Builds, Whole-hearted Wednesdays, Whimsical Wednesdays, Wake up Wednesday, Homemaking Party, Time Travel Thursday, Grace at Home, Thankful Thursday, Thought Provoking Thursday, Thriving Thursday, Proverbs 31 Thursday, Making Your Home Sing
So welcome Sarah! Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment. Blessings!
This is excellent! Thanks for the encouraging word today!
Thank you for taking the time to comment Judith! And for Whole Hearted Wednesdays. Always feel at home there! ♥
Thanks Nanette, this was so well done. I really appreciated reading this.
Thank you Angie…praying it blesses and opens our eyes!
Yes! Wonderful connection…love that version too, “Don’t you dare test the Lord your God.” Yikes! And especially love what you said, “Jesus never manufactured a crisis or another’s brokenness to do a miracle or healing.” So very true!! Thank you for taking the time to stop and leave your thoughts!
Thank you Beth…I may have to do some more research. One of my wonderful readers has found some interesting facts about that royal family. I will make it right if I am in error! But the thought is still the same, rightly dividing the Word! Praying for you TODAY! ♥
Isn’t it sad, Floyd? “They don’t want to search God out..” Loved that! I don’t want to be guilty of that. Thank you for commenting today friend.
Wonderful thoughts Laura, thank you so much! I love this: ” such an amazing thing that our saviour would give his life so that I wont lose mine…compared to the fact that people fight in traffic not to let someone else in front of them.” UGH! So true! Blessings to you for taking the time to comment. ♥
Fantastic post! – I’m stopping by from the Homemaking Party (blog hop)
Thanks
Angie
http://www.godsgrowinggarden.com/
I thought the same thing – that we are not to tempt God. Jesus never manufactured a crisis or another’s brokenness to do a miracle or a healing. This story also reminds me of the following passage:
” For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, “Since you are God’s Son, jump.” The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: “He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won’t so much as stub your toe on a stone.”
Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: “Don’t you dare test the Lord your God.” (Matthew 4: 5-7)
Way to put this in perspective Nannette!
Amen, Nannette! I wholeheartedly agree with everything you’ve said today and am grateful you are speaking out against this misuse of God’s word. So tragic! I also enjoyed learning about czar Nicolas. It reminds me of Ahab and Jezebel in many ways. Thanks for sharing your biblical wisdom. You’re a great expositor, my friend!
I hadn’t even heard of this! It’s disheartening to see folks take one or a couple of verses out of context and turn them into a humanistic and superstitious thing. The problem of course is that people are lazy and want others to do the work and magic for them. They don’t want to search God out. If they’ve heard, “Draw nigh to Me and I will draw nigh unto you,” they’ve probably heard it out of context.
Excellent summary and defense sister. You stand on the Rock!
Great post! I always find it amazing how people can take the Bible and twist it to what they want to use it for. Then the devil uses that as a way to keep unbelievers from believing. Very sad. It’s our sinful nature that wants to fight the simple fact that it’s by the Amazing grace of God and Jesus death on the cross that saves us. That there is nothing more we need, or can do, to gain that salvation. I suppose it’s the fact that it seems such an amazing thing that our saviour would give his life so that I wont lose mine…compared to the fact that people fight in traffic not to let someone else in front of them.
God is good all the time!!
Thanks so much for linking up with Wake up Wednesday!!
Laura @ Mice In The Kitchen
Amen! As in my comment below, Pentecostals do NOT handle snakes. This is a rogue group that takes and twists the scripture 🙁 Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! You are welcome here! ♥
Hi Rosilind, I AM “Pentecostal” and we would NEVER even consider such a thing as handling snakes nor would any Pentecostals that I know of. We do not believe in tempting God! There are groups in every denomination that do not hold to the beliefs of others that bear that same “name tag”. And every denomination has those that take and twist the scripture to their liking. It certainly doesn’t mean that everyone is “like them”. God help us to rightly divide the Word and not follow man. Thank you for stopping by and for Little R & R! ♥
Yes Amanda, heartbreaking. I too am thankful for Truth! Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment!
Wow Anna! I admit I did not find anything like this in all of my research and I thought I had done an exhaustive study. I will definitely do some more searching. Thank you for another perspective! Blessings, you are always welcome here. ♥
Amen Holly! Thank you for the opportunity at Testimony Tuesday.
I must come to the defense of some Pentecostal friends who do NOT handle snakes nor would they ever have that as part of their worship! Your post certainly addresses this item of news that I did see mentioned on Facebook this past week – I didn’t know details but now I do!
So true. I was raised Pentecostal – but we never handled snakes. I do remember Jim Jones…that was tragic. You know, there will always be those who twist and misuse scripture – to the detriment of others. This is why we must know the Word for ourselves, so we are able to discern man’s belief from God’s truth. Great post!
This was so sad indeed! I am so thankful the Lord lead my son and I to a great Church that teaches sound doctrine. Those folks still attending that Church need prayer.
I agree – the Scriptures say “Thou shalt not put the Lord thy God to the test” – it is quite misguided to intentionally incur snake bites.
But, I have often wondered about the real Truth about Rasputin. What we know from history is that he prayed for Prince Alexis repeatedly, and Prince Alexis stopped bleeding, repeatedly. We also know that he was married & never claimed to be a Monk – tho others called him one. I have *heard* many reports that he was immoral, a fraud, had too much influence, and that the Tsarina had too much sway and was disliked, etc. BUT I have looked for the sources of these reports and every single one that I can find traces back to an Atheist Communist source who had every motive to slander both Rasputin & the Tsarina to gain their own power.
A few years ago, I went to a local museum and heard a speaker talk about Tsar Nicholas & Alexandra. It is amazing how devout they and their children were – and how they suffered for Christ while imprisoned & Martyred. Their children (who were late teens/early 20’s when killed) wrote letters & hymns from their imprisonment, praising God and forgiving those who wronged them. Nicholas certainly loved his wife & valued her opinion – but is that not what a Christian husband *should* do? That is, assuming that the wife is not giving unwise/un-Godly advice – and I can find no record of her advising him in a way that dishonored God.
It is quite possible that secular history has judged the situation inaccurately.
It is so important for us to know God’s word and to measure all that we see and hear against it. Doing so will never lead us astray! Thanks for linking up to Testimony Tuesday, friend!
Amen Carol, amen. God’s Word IS consistent! Thank you for stopping by today, blessings to you!
It is so sad to hear about the tragic results of misusing scripture. I agree–“every word must be measured against scripture.” God’s Word is consistent, verses need to be read in context and compared to the whole Word of God.
“Pentecostal” is a wide brand around the world and means many different things. It would be unfair to lump them all together as abusive just as it would any denomination. I am terribly sorry for your experience Mia, things like that should never happen in the Church! But every denomination has those who “tag along” under their banner but maybe do not share the Word of God the way it is meant to be shared. So unfortunate.
I wasn’t meaning to target a particular group at all, just to shine a light on the “carrying away” of extra-Biblical activities which can happen anywhere. So, unfortunately, it is nothing new, but we must be aware of those that change the Gospel to meet their own agendas and those that would lead others fatefully astray with “enticing words of man’s wisdom”.
Always happy to have you friend! I am praying for a God-blessed and pain-free day for you. ♥
Amen Joanne, even when He was tempted, Jesus told Satan to take a walk! Love your last sentence, “Pushing God to reveal His power and glory is not a good idea.” Amen!
True, True, True! Even Jesus did not tempt God by throwing Himself down when satan had enticed Him to do so. Pushing God to reveal His power and glory is not a good idea.
Dear Nannette
I have read about this unfortunate incident in your country on another blog as well. In South Africa the Pentcostals are also gaining a lot of popularity and I used to belong to one for a little while. The spiritual abuse that I received from these people was so incredibly sad, abominable and appalling, but all praise to our Lord Jesus, our Pappa and the Sweet Spirit of Love I was completely delivered and healed from their abuse. Last year a very talented young musician died of treatable meningitis while still in his twenties. His father is a Pentecostal preacher and very charismatic and demanding. He forbid his son to go to doctors for by Jesus’ stripes he was supposed to be healed. When the authorities looked into the matter, he totally denied the claims even though some of his congregants confirmed that this is what this deluded man preaches. So sad.
Blessings XX
Mia