snake handlers

[one love]

check this one out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thk20h1lmVg&NR=1

ok i saw this one is a performance art piece, i told my wife when i watched it this could not be real

[Mat]

removed

[EagerBeaver]

check this one out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thk20h1lmVg&NR=1

They must be Seeker Sensitive or at least Emergent. Most of the men did not have a suit and ties on, even the preacher. They said they had no rules but the Bible, maybe they're part of the "simple church" movement.

The true is, my great-whatever-family did handle snakes at one time, but they learned better. After all, learning from your "miss-snakes", isn't that what growing in the Lord is all about.

Mat

Funny thing while the girl is quivering on the ground "in the Spirit," around the 2:42 mark, she still has the presence of mind to straighten out her skirt.

[one love]

I told my wife this one had to be fake and it is it is performance art stuff if you read the part on the right

[darylscook]

The one gap in theological underpinning Hensley and the snake handlers ignored was that classic Holiness Pentecostal thought believed that speaking in tongues, and other supernatural manifestations, were done as enabled by, and at the unction and urging of, the Spirit.

But when it comes to handling serpents and drinking poison the initiator is shifted from the Spirit to the believer. Such would be more aligned with modern fanatical beliefs of charismania such as speaking/praying in tongues at will, etc.

Poimen this view is different that what I have read from book I browsed through once. Somebody brought it to church. The snakes are kept in a box somewhere and there are NOT certain times it is brought out, but rather when the spirit is moving and inspires one to do go pick up one, that is when they would go and get the box and get one out. I handled a snake once....


I was at the state fair and this man was holding it and letting people hold it for a while, it was a quite tame small python. Pretty cool....

I still don't think we need to keep a box of snakes around just in case, but I got a better understanding of the process by reading a lot of that book. A quite interesting read. I wonder if I could get LDUs for that book

God bless You

[Pastor Bill]

The one gap in theological underpinning Hensley and the snake handlers ignored was that classic Holiness Pentecostal thought believed that speaking in tongues, and other supernatural manifestations, were done as enabled by, and at the unction and urging of, the Spirit.

But when it comes to handling serpents and drinking poison the initiator is shifted from the Spirit to the believer. Such would be more aligned with modern fanatical beliefs of charismania such as speaking/praying in tongues at will, etc.

Poimen this view is different that what I have read from book I browsed through once. Somebody brought it to church. The snakes are kept in a box somewhere and there are NOT certain times it is brought out, but rather when the spirit is moving and inspires one to do go pick up one, that is when they would go and get the box and get one out. I handled a snake once....


I was at the state fair and this man was holding it and letting people hold it for a while, it was a quite tame small python. Pretty cool....

I still don't think we need to keep a box of snakes around just in case, but I got a better understanding of the process by reading a lot of that book. A quite interesting read. I wonder if I could get LDUs for that book

God bless You

We still have a few snake handling churches in this area, and I cannot speak by experience, but I did know a couple that bounced back and forth between one close to them, and attending our church (not my current church, but the church I attended at the time) they came with some friends, and generally visited on nights that the snakes were supposed to be out at their home church, so from what I hear it is more planned.

[pastorables]

Also regarding other manifestations, I hate to hear someone say, "I'm going to prophesy over you" or "come let's all speak in tongues" that's not following the Spirit, it's commanding and expecting the Spirit to follow you.

I agree with you in most modern day references. I am not for showmanship or fleshliness at all.

My point is concerning men like the Apostle Paul, Smith Wigglesworth, and others who walked/walk with God to the level of the Spirit's presence being the rule and not the exception. Paul walked in the Spirit on an entirely different level than the average Christian, so did Wigglesworth. This leads me to believe that our modern view of spiritual manifestations is often shaped by our culture and not by fullness of experience. I certainly do not desire to belittle the few times that we do allow ourselves to be moved by the Spirit. I just believe there is a much deeper place with God spiritually, and those of us who haven't obtained shouldn't judge those who have.

Blessings,
pa

[Pastor Bill]

I agree with you on that, but I still see those men as led rather than leading, which was my point.

They walked close enough that it didn't take a show or alot of worked up emotion to get to the leading, and I don't know that we are there, but I agree with you when we do allow Him to lead, it's worth it. I think we agree on this, I don't want to belittle what we do have, but I think we need to seek more.

[one love]

I thought snake handlers (the original ones) did it as was said as prompted by the spirit yet i see in these videos that many just plan this stuff. But when it startet wasnt it as the spirit moved just as COGOP passing around hot coals?

All I know is that is one thing you can do to keep me out of your church let me come in and see a bunch of snakes I dont have many fears but i really , REALLY, REALLY DONT LIKE SNAKES...EWWWWWWWW

[Poimen]

I thought snake handlers (the original ones) did it as was said as prompted by the spirit yet i see in these videos that many just plan this stuff. But when it startet wasnt it as the spirit moved just as COGOP passing around hot coals?

All I know is that is one thing you can do to keep me out of your church let me come in and see a bunch of snakes I dont have many fears but i really , REALLY, REALLY DONT LIKE SNAKES...EWWWWWWWW

As far as the hot coals, they weren't brought to the church and heated for the purpose of being handled as an act of worship.

When you catch and box up a bunch of deadly snakes and bring them to church in order to handle them on purpose during the service your taking the initiation.

When you bottle and bring poison to church in order to drink it on purpose during service your taking the initiation.

When you orchestrate and set aside a time in service wherein everyone is supposed to of their own initiation being to speak in tongues your taking the initiation.

When you charge for sick and disabled attendants to come and be prayed for and limit who and when among them you will pray and heal, your taking the initiation.

In such instances it matters not that one touts the Spirit's leading or enabling. The truth is self evident.

[one love]

I thought snake handlers (the original ones) did it as was said as prompted by the spirit yet i see in these videos that many just plan this stuff. But when it startet wasnt it as the spirit moved just as COGOP passing around hot coals?

All I know is that is one thing you can do to keep me out of your church let me come in and see a bunch of snakes I dont have many fears but i really , REALLY, REALLY DONT LIKE SNAKES...EWWWWWWWW

As far as the hot coals, they weren't brought to the church and heated for the purpose of being handled as an act of worship.

When you catch and box up a bunch of deadly snakes and bring them to church in order to handle them on purpose during the service your taking the initiation.

When you bottle and bring poison to church in order to drink it on purpose during service your taking the initiation.

When you orchestrate and set aside a time in service wherein everyone is supposed to of their own initiation being to speak in tongues your taking the initiation.

When you charge for sick and disabled attendants to come and be prayed for and limit who and when among them you will pray and heal, your taking the initiation.

In such instances it matters not that one touts the Spirit's leading or enabling. The truth is self evident.

hey Brother Im not defending snake handlers...just the thought makes eerie....

[Poimen]

I didn't think you were brother. I was just trying to give feedback to your comments.

It's all good.