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Rev. Billy Ray
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Al christwire Forkland Mark 16:18 Rock of Ages Holiness Church Sings Following Church
Taking Up Serpents… An Act of Faith
By Rev. Billy Ray Sunday
NOTE: I want to thank my many friends, fans (Readers) and my extended family at chris†wire for giving me the opportunity to invite all of you to visit our Church’s Facebook page and share in the Christian love and fellowship you’ll find there. We are the only Signs Following Fellowship on the Internet and we invite you to be apart of that fellowship.
Rev. BRS
<chris†wire> Regardless of how one might feel about spiders and snakes, they too are God’s annoying little creatures, who like us do the work of our Lord & Savior. Not having souls these often frightening pests will never see Heaven, but it is important to remember that they, like us are at the command of the Lord.
So you can tell that I’m not one who has ever been comfortable around things that slither or have more legs than I do. This is one human frailty I posses. As one can image being the reverend of a Signs Following Church I am often cornered by parishioners, locals, and school children and grilled about the contradiction between my humanity and my faith.
I admit it took me sometime to digest my own thoughts; having one’s faith questioned isn’t always easy to deal with, and in my profession it can be poisoning your own well water, so to speak.
My life in the ministry began after seminary in a Southern Pentecostal Church similar to the one I was raised in. I was preaching in Mobile then, a much more densely populated area than where I live today. No one was ever waving snakes around or drinking poison, nor had I ever considered either to be apart of any Christian worship.
Brother Dan McKenna in Worship
But I had heard about the bizarre serpent churches located in the rural outlining areas. In the ministry these snake worshipers who called themselves Christians seemed anything but. In fact I recall them being the butt of a joke on more than one occasion.
It was about eight years into my ministry when I was touring a number of Pentecostal Church’s throughout the South, and by chance one Sunday morning I stepped through the doors of one out of the way church and sat listening to the sermon as the pastor delivered one of the most passionate services I’ve ever attended.
I was so impressed that he preached in the “old school” or the King James style while speaking with such authority and power. I spent maybe 40 minutes listening to this pastor deliver his hell fire & damnation sermon like an old pro. I knew I had to introduce myself and speak with him. Then it happened… they brought out the snakes.
No longer was I hearing the man’s words, my only interest at the time being self-preservation I sought the nearest exit. Taking to flight I then heard the pastor call out to me… “Young man,” he said. I stopped turned and looked to the alter and he said… “Have you heard of Mark 16:18?”
As my heart was pounding and I’m sure I was still moving slowly towards the exit my mind processed Mark 16:18. Mark 16:18 King James Version (KJV)… “18 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.”
Fellowship Celebration at Rock of Ages Holiness Church
It was then that it hit me like a ton of bricks. These people were not of some heathen whack-o cult. I had listened to the pastor and was greatly moved by his sermon. He had impressed me, and now he was waving around a rattlesnake. But it added up, I knew these folks were Christians like the rest and their taking up of serpents was an act of faith nothing more.
I in no way was interested in returning to my seat however now that 5 or 6 people all had snakes and were wondering about; I remained standing and close to the exit, but I knew why they did what they did.
Today many years later I’m tending to a small Alabama Signs Following country church and my faith has overcome my fear. I’m no big fan of these creatures mind you and wouldn’t want to find one crawling through my yard, but when I take up serpents now I too have no fear for God’s will be done. If its my time to go and the Lord commands the viper to strike I can live knowing it is His will.
Here is the link to our online fellowship. I hope you’ll visit us and leave a comment.
Visit the only Signs Following Online Fellowship on the Net
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rock-of-Ages-Holiness-Church/346929902009945
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Rev. Billy Ray Sunday is 3rd generation preacher. He lives in Forkland, AL and is a journalist for chrisTwire.com. 
Rev you are doing the good work and we all take notice. Bless you. I hope to get down and spend some time in your congregation this fall.
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We’d love to see you as our guest. I look forward to conversing at a higher, more spiritual level with you, as you know that can be difficult to accomplish on the CW forum. Don’t freak out if I toss you a deadly viper!
Just kidding…
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Better stock the fridge with Some Duck Butter
if Aug is Visting
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“” Don’t freak out if I toss you a deadly viper! “”
That would be the one Eye purple bed Snake then !!!!
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If you toss me a snake, I would take it by the head and shove it straight down your wiener.
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yawn, I thought oyu said snakes where bad yet again you go and change you mind like always kinda old really.
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Hey Rev. I have an honest question for you…Why is a snake used in these sermons? I mean, I’ve been to this types of sermons before…But I don’t remember why snakes…
I apoligize if you covered this question up in your article…I’ll be truthful, I didnt read your article…
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There is only one answer. Mark 16:18 King James Version (KJV)… “18 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.”
People look upon snake handling in a Christian church they way look upon someone cuttin’ a fart in church. Other believe the snake represents the Devil. Signs Following churches (Snake-Handling churches) are like any other Christian church (though we are shunned)because we see this scripture literally, as the word of God.
Generally most churches of Christian faith see this Bible verse figuratively, as a parable. Other than that if you walked into a Signs Following Church before they break out the snakes… you’d never know the difference. Excellent question by the way!
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Oh, now that makes sense…Thank you Rev.
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My Kind of church
[img]http://i.imgur.com/7Jjm2.jpg[/img]
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Oh by the way… the other common question I’m asked I’ll answer now to save our time. No one has to handle serpents, it is not mandatory, you are not going to be seen as an outcast for not handling snakes. Read my story carefully you’ll understand my position on this. I’m not a snake kind of guy. But with time I overcame my fear of them with faith. And I’m sure not going to make anyone do anything they don’t want. Everyone is on the same path in the faith, not all of us are at the front of the line so to speak.
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Actually, I have a completely different question…Where do you get these snakes? Is there just one snake you guys use over and over or do you find a new snake for each sermon?
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Two intelligent questions “O”!!! Are you going for a new record for 2012? That’s two more than most of the flockers who post here.
Snakes are captured in the wild and sold through dealers… well the one’s that live that is.
Signs Following churches know where to obtain them. We use a man from Texas.
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“Snakes are captured in the wild and sold through dealers… well the one’s that live that is.”
That live? Hold on…What do you mean by that?
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Wait…wait…I just realized That you meant the dealers that live…I misread and thought you meant the snakes that live
My bad
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PS “O”… Most churches use a variety of different snakes and there can be around 10 or 12 serpents during a service. Signs Following churches usually don’t have many members… like I say we get shunned, and we do not fit into into the main stream of Christian thinking due to our literal taking of the word. So a dozen is really all any church needs, some probably use half that number.
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I’ll be honest…I may be the opposite of a religious person…but I see nothing wrong with a Following Signs church
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I have to admit the snake handling is actually a really cool thing.
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“O” don’t take this the wrong way… its always been a point of revulsion for most, but the fact is not all snake handlers or dealers always live to tell their story. About a month back a preacher in North Carolina was bitten & died.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/31/veteran-snakehandling-pas_n_1559762.html
My sense of humor is somewhat tasteless and dark at times. Seriously Signs Following churches started up about 115 years ago in the Appalachian Mountains and it has spread into the South and Mid-West. During that time roughly 100 pastors and parishioners have died as a result of snake bites that occurred during a church service. And yes, it is illegal in all states but North Carolina, though I think it’ll be under consideration very soon to outlaw it there as well.
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Wow, I had no idea…about anything you just said…What exactly makes it outlawed though? Is it because of the deaths?
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“O” to answer your question honestly I have to introduce two lines of thoughts… the government’s and my own. Yes the deaths are the reason that states have argued for enacting laws to prohibit snake handling.
In reality 100 deaths in 115 years is a pretty good average when you compare those numbers against industrial related fatal accidents, DUI accident related deaths, fatal accidents caused by accidental discharges of firearms each year and so forth.
My opinion is a combination of my own fear of snakes vs. my having overcome that fear through faith. I believe most Christians and most lawmakers like me are less than comfortable around snakes. And no doubt they find the practice inside a church as bizarre.
Therefore it is easy for them to dismiss our faith for their comfort. This Sunday should I choose to handle snakes in church and one bites me and I die from that bite… so be it. God will take me in His time, not when its convenient for me. And if it is His will that I go out from a snake bite… so be it. God’s will be done.
If you follow the recent death in North Carolina in the news, you’ll see someone write up a bill to outlaw the practice there too. And my gut feeling is that proposed law will be supported and will pass.
Regardless Signs Following churches are located in rural areas and don’t dry much attention until someone gets bite, therefore the practice has survived regardless of the law.
Recently a news story said that SF churches are dwindling in numbers, but the truth is they have continued to grow and have moved deeper into the mid-west than in previous years.
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It just seems weird to outlaw something like that…I mean, you (and other snake handlers) know the risk of handling snakes and chose to take that risk in good faith…So the government is tryin to protect you…from your own choices? That doesn’t make sense…
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Apparently it makes sense to those who want to outlaw faith. I agree with you, the gov’t has no business inside the church unless there is criminal activity. — But not to enter a church then outlaw what they see because it creeps them out. — The US Supreme Court has never ruled on the constitutional aspect of these state laws but I do not believe outlawing a practice sane people choose to do in their own home or church is none of the gov’t business.
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Hey I began celebrating the 4th about 12 hours ago and I got to go to bed. But your always welcome to ask me anything. I may not always have the answer, and you’ll be the 2nd to know if I don’t. That way I do not waste our time.
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Well, thank you for the answers to my questions…I hope we can continue this discussion another time…
As for me, I shall be awake…because I don’t sleep…anyway, good night Rev.
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O’Rubberous, It is always a pleasure to see you (and other civilised naysayers like Freakazoid) having a polite, genuine conversation with members of the Christwire flock.
You have a genuine curiosity and integrity, unlike a lot of the know-nothing baboons who come here to act smart, only to make fools of themselves.
If only more of the naysayers could be like you.
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Claire what does it mean to “SUPPORT THE SNAKE’S BODY!”? I’ve been around a while now but have never heard that expression before.
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It means your’e a dumb ass. Handling a snake with no experience at all.
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You do the same with lizards…Granted, lizards don’t dangle like snakes do…But it is important to support their whole body…Which is why when I hold my iguana, I let him lay on my forearm
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Pastor Billy Ray Sunday knows how to handle those.
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Thanks Adam, I’ve got this. I clearly failed to connect your comment Claire not considering you intended it as a literal considering your past history of posts here. Yes always good to support the snakes body (literally) but my experience has been most do not just “hang down” usually they’ll wrap themselves around your wrist area as seen in your photo. — Though it does happen that some people do allow the animal to hang. If you check out my church page listed above I believe there’s at least one photo of a parishioner doing just that. — Remember these people are not snake catchers or dealers; most only take up serpents as an act of faith. Therefore a lot of them don’t know how to handle the snakes correctly. Thank you.
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