The Problem with Poison-Drinking, Snake Handling "Churches"

[chicacanella]

As you all know, these churches base their actions on the fact that it says in the bible that:

Mark 16:16-18

16"(U)He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
17"These signs will accompany those who have believed: (V)in My name they will cast out demons, they will (W)speak with new tongues; 18they will (X)pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will (Y)lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."


But this does not mean that we should try to pick up serpents or try to drink poison because this would be testing the Lord. Remember when the enemy tried to get Jesus to go off the cliff (the audacity) and what did Jesus say, "You are not to test God."

That is what these churches are doing when they handle dangerous snakes and drink poison, they are testing God and that is not something he wants us to do. If there were a situation where mishap had them have to handle a snake or someone gave a follower of Christ poison, that is something different. But God doesn't want us to go around doing these things purposely.

 

[HeChangedMyName]

As you all know, these churches base their actions on the fact that it says in the bible that:

Mark 16:16-18

16"(U)He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.
17"These signs will accompany those who have believed: (V)in My name they will cast out demons, they will (W)speak with new tongues; 18they will (X)pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will (Y)lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."


But this does not mean that we should try to pick up serpents or try to drink poison because this would be testing the Lord. Remember when the enemy tried to get Jesus to go off the cliff (the audacity) and what did Jesus say, "You are not to test God."

That is what these churches are doing when they handle dangerous snakes and drink poison, they are testing God and that is not something he wants us to do. If there were a situation where mishap had them have to handle a snake or someone gave a follower of Christ poison, that is something different. But God doesn't want us to go around doing these things purposely.

You hit it right on the head. matthew 4:7 says, "Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

Why people do anything that they claim is based on the faith that God protects them, but they are doing something that they do not "have" to do out of circumstance, then they are taking it into their own hands and trying to force God to protect them. Example: If I have no gas in my car, no money and no one to help me out, but I feel that there is a word being preached at a church that I desperately need to hear from God, then I will leave my house on E and make it to church. I have done this before. However, If I make a choice between an egg mcmuffin and some gas in my car on Sunday morning when I know I've been on E for two days, then that is testing God to see if he'll get me to church. There is a difference.