While working in Oklahoma, we became acquainted with the members of a new
sect known as "The Followers." Some articles of their faith were similar to
those of the Christian, or Cambellite, denomination. Besides these, they
believed in the reception of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands; they
professed to speak in tongues and to interpret, a demonstration which God
made us to know was a deception of the devil. But the most peculiar tenet
of their faith was that their members were not counted perfect until they
could pick up a snake without injury. This belief was, we suppose, based on
the scripture found in Mark 16:18: "They shall take up serpents." A number
of them were able to do this without any bad result, but a few were bitten
so badly that they came near dying. The Lord made us to understand so
clearly the spiritual condition of these people that we felt clear in
pointing out their delusion.
In a dream that I had at this time, I saw a ferocious wild animal coming to
take my life. It seemed that if I could get hold of its horns God would
protect me and help me to overcome it. During the meeting of which I have
been speaking, we went home with one of the families of The Followers. As
we were returning to the meeting in the evening, one of their number who
professed to talk with tongues and to have great authority, began talking
his jargon as though he were pronouncing vengeance on us. God gave me to
understand that this was the wild animal of my dream and that I should
trust God and rebuke the devil, which I did. God put his rebuke on the
spirit, and that night, through us, exposed the false doctrine. One of the
leaders came out, got a good experience of salvation, and became a minister
of the present truth. A number of others also got established in the church
of God.
Shortly after the events related above, we went to Nishnabotna, where we
met a spirit similar to the one we had encountered at St. James, Mo. The
demonstrations, however, were not quite so vile, but the spirit was making
progress in the community and had a number under its influence. In their
meetings they would jump and dance and talk about the great power they had.
They declared it was God's power and that if any one went against it,
something dreadful would happen to him. They even went so far as to say
that if any one spoke against the demonstration they made or "the power,"
as they called it, God would strike him dead.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account