Acts 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the Apostles. When people come into the mighty presence of God, they tend to get afraid. That is why people are afraid of the serpent handlers. When they see firsthand, the power of God. They get a little afraid. The day Jesus raised up Lazarus, people were scared. People also hated Jesus for his ministry and his miracles. The religious people stood by and watched. Instead of being amazed and praising God. They schemed around to have him killed. The more power he showed the more they wanted him dead. They hated him for what he preached. They sought to kill him for his power. They persecuted the Aposltes as well. They beat them and put them in jail. They passed a law that they couldn't preach and practice what they believed. There are few christians who have laws passed so they can't practice what they believe. The serpent handlers are the only ones in our free country who don't have the right to practice what they believe. They let people sacrifice animals. They let people use drugs. They let everyone have the right to practice their religion. Even satanist. That is freedom of religion. But, the serpent handlers, who live according to the Bible, who preach straight from the Bible, who are closest to the early christians, can't practice theirs. Matthew 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. Preachers have gone overseas and risked their lives to spread the gospel to unbelievers for years and years. Putting their selves in constant danger of losing their lives. Either by men or by disease. I admire those missionaries very much. I have great respect for them. Other christians also feel that way about them. They don't call them crazy or treat them mean. They don't call them fanatic nutjobs. Why? Because, the Lord said to preach the gospel to every living creature. They are just doing what the Lord said. Serpent handlers believe in the words of the Lord. So, his spirit uses them to confirm his words. Yet, people want to call us crazy. Even though we do the same thing as missionaries, spreading the gospel,we are made outcasts. We are called a cult. We aren't a cult. Unless being a christian qualifies you to be a cult member. We don't force people to do anything. We don't forbid people to leave. We don't take people's posessions. We don't make them give up the rights of their children. We are just like other holiness pentecostal people. Except, as well as being anointed to cast out devils, speak in tongues, and heal the sick. We also become anointed to take up serpents. We don't take them up unless we are anointed to. Some have taken them up on faith alone. No anointing. But, sad to say, most of them end up bit and hurt. Or, dead. We press into the spirit, and once we are in the spirit, we let the lord lead us. That may mean praying for the sick, casting out devils, speak in tongues, drink deadly things, or take up serpents. Why have people died? In almost a hundred years there have been less than eighty deaths. Eighty deaths out of tens of thousands of believers. Hundreds of thousands of serpents. Including exotic serpents. Like cobras and gaboon vipers. People tend not to look at how many times and how many serpents have been taken up without any harm at all. Because, they would rather condemn something they can't explain. There are many misconceptions on how serpent handlers handle serpents. We don't handle them like the croc hunter or somebody. We handle them under the anointing. But, the anointing can be broken. If we get our mind on other things while anointed, the anointing will leave. And, then, if you have a serpent, you have no protection from it. And, it will bite you. You may live, you may suffer, or you may die. That is why it is important not to break the anointing. Sometimes you might get a serpent so mean it would take an extra heavy anoiting to handle it. If we take it up to soon, before we are heavily anointed, it can over come our anointing and bite us. The anointing comes different ways at different times. Sometimes it is gradual, sometimes it is quick, sometimes it is hard to get, and sometimes easy to get. Now, just because I get anointed, I still might not handle a serpent. I might be completley covered up, but, if I don't get a leading from the spirit to take one up. I had better leave it alone. But, as long as I alsways wait on the Lord, and I never let my stray thoughts break the anointing. I will never be bit. Can you explain why they don't bite? How can someone handle a snake that is some mean it strikes at every little thing? Like a cottonmouth. Cottonmouths are the most belligerent of any of pit vipers. It will actually track you down to bite you. Some are so mean that when put with other snakes it will kill them. So how is it possible for a man or woman to take a vicious cottonmouth and handle it like a fishworm. With no indication from the snake that is even tempted to bite. The anointing of God. That is what keeps the serpent from biting. Jesus said that if you believed you could do it, then you can with him working with you. You can do it on your own, but, then it would just be luck if you weren't bitten. But, if God leads you to do it. To confirm the words of Jesus. He will give you power of it. Just like he can give you power over sicknesses and devils. Just like his spirit can quench the violence of flame. Just like if he leads you to drink a deadly thing. And, you do it, it wont't harm you. People say if that if they would come accross a serpent in the wild and needed to move it they could without harm. The Bible don't say that maybe they will take them up, it don't say they might take them up, and it don't say that accidentally they will take them up. It says if you believe in it you shall take them up. If I come accross one in the woods and try to take it up without the anointing I am as good as bit. But, if I praise God and his spirit comes upon me and leads me to take one up. And, I don't do anything to break that anointing. I will never be bit. Please, feel free to sign the guestbook at the bottom of the page.