Snakes in Worship Service Mark 16:18

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Elizabeth619 said:
Here is another question. We all know the apostles had the ability to heal the sick. Even those(like myself) who believe certain gifts have ceased we are all in agreement such things happened during the time of the early church.

There is one instance where they were not able to cast out a demon of a young boy due to their lack of faith, and scripture explains to us that was the reason why, and that is the only reason why they were not able to cast out the demon.

Does this mean they would ALWAYS heal the sick? I mean, the spirit was with them. Was there ever a reason why they would not heal someone?
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CERTAIN GIFTS have ceased, elizzy ?



Good thread, by the way :)
 
Elizabeth619 said:
Why was Trophimus not healed?
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Also this nugget from God's man of faith and power..

Galatians 4
[SUP]12 [/SUP]I beg you, brothers: Become like me, for I also became like you. You have not wronged me; [SUP]13 [/SUP]you know that previously I preached the gospel to you because of a physical illness.[SUP]14 [/SUP]You did not despise or reject me though my physical condition was a trial for you.[SUP][d][/SUP] On the contrary, you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.
 
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A West Virginia preacher who followed his father into the rare practice of handling snakes to prove faith in God died after being bitten during an outdoor service involving the reptiles.
Mark Randall "Mack" Wolford, 44 – whose own father died in 1983 after suffering a fatal bite – had been bitten before and survived. But he died earlier this week after witnesses say a timber rattler bit him on the thigh. Wolford's sister and a freelance photographer told media outlets it happened during a Sunday service at Panther State Forest.
Lauren Pond, a freelance photojournalist from Washington, D.C., didn't immediately return messages Thursday but told the Bluefield Daily Telegraph she was among 25 people at the service. She saw Wolford bitten but said congregants were unfazed.
"I don't think anyone necessarily expected it," she told the newspaper, "but they've dealt with it before so it's not such a huge shock, maybe."
Bluefield Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Becky Ritter said Thursday that Wolford was a patient and died Monday, but that federal privacy laws prevented her from releasing additional information.
Officials at the Cravens-Shires Funeral Home also declined to answer questions, saying the family had asked that the cause of death be withheld. Several relatives did not answer email and telephone messages.
The state medical examiner's office referred questions to the state Department of Health and Human Resources, which didn't immediately respond.
Born in Pike County, Ky., Wolford had lived in the Bramwell area for the past five years and was a pastor at Apostolic House of the Lord Jesus in Matoaka. Unlike many Pentecostal preachers, he embraced publicity, welcoming journalists and photographers, and even taking some on snake hunts as he...


From the Huffington Post . 2012 incident, I think that the Lord leads, but we are not to test the Lord Thy God. But, hmm, hard to say this, the Lord leads, this is my ONLY way to put it :) "You follow Me..." John 21:22 .

And, God does not have us do things that He will not be in complete control of. God does not allow Satan to tempt us beyond what we are able, so, was this Pastor Wolford doing the Lord's work, handling these deadly vipers and rattlers in West Virginia is a good question, isn't it. He did what his father did, who , too, died, obviously didn't believe in 'once bitten, twice shy,' . But, seriously, not making light of the point, this Pastor Wolford did MANY times before this lead congregation's in powerful worship of God through use of snakes. Never dying. Not sure for how many years Pastor W handled snakes before one got him, and, not sure how long his dad, also a pastor, handled snakes before dying, but, the fact remains, the Lord leads :)
 
Elizabeth619 said:
Why was Trophimus not healed?
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Its worth noting that in 1 Tim 5:23 ( Authorised KJV text) there is 2 types of wine mentioned, one unfermented new wine ( found on the vine, Isaiah 65:8) and so perhaps Timothy was encouraged not to take the the more 'intoxicating' type to strengthen him?
I would like to respond to more...but i cannot find I Tim. 4:20......My Bible moves onto to 1 Tim. 5 after verse 16, 1 Tim. :)
<><
 
hattiebod said:
Its worth noting that in 1 Tim 5:23 ( Authorised KJV text) there is 2 types of wine mentioned, one unfermented new wine ( found on the vine, Isaiah 65:8) and so perhaps Timothy was encouraged not to take the the more 'intoxicating' type to strengthen him?
I would like to respond to more...but i cannot find I Tim. 4:20......My Bible moves onto to 1 Tim. 5 after verse 16, 1 Tim. :)
<><
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Whoops. Thats because it is 2 Timothy lol.
 
Elizabeth619 said:
they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.

I am sure we have all heard about the "snake handler" churches. Congregations that do this.... are they taking this passage out of context or does this truly happen?

Thoughts?
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When Satan tempted Jesus to cast Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, Jesus said "
[h=3]Luke 4:12[/h] And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.


By handling snakes, these cooks are tempting God.
 
hattiebod said:
Its worth noting that in 1 Tim 5:23 ( Authorised KJV text) there is 2 types of wine mentioned, one unfermented new wine ( found on the vine, Isaiah 65:8) and so perhaps Timothy was encouraged not to take the the more 'intoxicating' type to strengthen him?
I would like to respond to more...but i cannot find I Tim. 4:20......My Bible moves onto to 1 Tim. 5 after verse 16, 1 Tim. :)
<><
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I'm pretty sure as a leader appointed by the mighty Paul, Timothy already wasn't using the stronger drink of the vine.
 
I think a lot of healing depends on ones faith, even Jesus could not heal some because of their lack of it.
 
Graybeard said:
I think a lot of healing depends on ones faith, even Jesus could not heal some because of their lack of it.
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well. you can say if i pick up that poisonous snake and if it bites me I have faith in god it will not harm me...

But also the words don't tempt fate come to my mind.
 
Does anyone know if this works?

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wisebeardman said:
well. you can say if i pick up that poisonous snake and if it bites me I have faith in god it will not harm me...

But also the words don't tempt fate come to my mind.
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Scripture says do not tempt the Lord your God......and that would be just that!
 
GreenNnice said:
CERTAIN GIFTS have ceased, elizzy ?



Good thread, by the way :)
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I wonder who healed my mother in law of brain cancer in 1993. Guess they ceased after that. By the way she is still alive and she is 63 years old today and her doctor is still amazed. This doctor gave her 6 months to live in 1993. We have the mri printouts.
 
Elizabeth619 said:
yet casting out demons, healing the sick, and tongues are mentioned to... but they are called a sign. sign of what?
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according to the passage, a sign that they had come to Christ thus were truel believers.. Whoever did this (got saved) these will be the signs.
 
Earlmayknowornot said:
I wonder who healed my mother in law of brain cancer in 1993. Guess they ceased after that. By the way she is still alive and she is 63 years old today and her doctor is still amazed. This doctor gave her 6 months to live in 1993. We have the mri printouts.
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Saying gifts ceased is not saying God doesn't heal. My mother has survived cancer 4 times. God did that. Not by the laying of hands either. Prayer and faith did.
 
Graybeard said:
I think a lot of healing depends on ones faith, even Jesus could not heal some because of their lack of it.
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I think Paul had alot of faith. And he begged God to remove his thorn, And God said his grace was sufficient.. God had better things and wanted him to trust him. If we were healed of all of our sickness and had great lives, why would we need God?
 
Elizabeth619 said:
Saying gifts ceased is not saying God doesn't heal. My mother has survived cancer 4 times. God did that. Not by the laying of hands either. Prayer and faith did.
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I have never seen laying on of hands healing. But have witness many corporate prayer healings.. even when the one healed was no where around where we were praying. I believe that is how God heals today.
 
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