Mark 16:17-18: "Drink Poison, Prove Christ is God"

MUSLIMS often quote Mark 16:17-18 to TAUNT CHRISTIANS and the LORD JESUS. They believe is will EMBARRASS CHRISTIANS either by SHOWING that THEY ARE "COWARDS" of that "THEY DO NOT TRUST" THE LORD JESUS.

But this is only a TRICK by MUSLIMS, similar to the ATTEMPT of SATAN to TRICK the LORD JESUS in Matthew 4:1-11.

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A. HOW THE TRICK WORKS

MARK 16:17-18 says:
And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Some Muslims will start by saying, "Do you believe that JESUS is GOD"?

If a Christian says "Yes," then the MUSLIM will mention Mark 16:17-18 and DARE the Christian, "PROVE IT. DRINK POISON. YOUR GOD said IT WILL NOT HARM YOU."

A Christian who is UNAWARE of the TRICK might by STUMPED or EMBARRASSED. If he DOES NOT DRINK POISON, it will "PROVE" that HE "DOES NOT TRUST" the LORD JESUS. He might even say, "SEE? YOU GOD CANNOT SAVE YOU and HE IS A LIAR."

So, the Christian might get DEMORALIZED because he "FAILED" to PROVE HIS FAITH in the LORD JESUS, or that the LORD JESUS is GOD.

But THERE IS NOTHING to be EMBARRASSED or DEMORALIZED ABOUT. The MUSLIM TRICK PROVES NOTHING.

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B. HOW TO RESPOND

First, TELL the MUSLIM that HE is IMITATING the DEVIL when SATAN TRIED to TEMPT the LORD JESUS in MATTHEW 4:1-11.

In Matthew 4:3 and 6, the DEVIL even QUOTED from SCRIPTURES and TRIED to LURE the LORD JESUS in PERFORMING a MIRACLE or TEST GOD.

The DEVIL SAID:
* Matthew 4:3, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread."

* Matthew 4:6, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'"

In the MUSLIM TRICK, THAT is also EXACTLY what the MUSLIM is ASKING FOR.

1. MIRACLE - If YOU DRINK POISON, God WILL PERFORM a MIRACLE and YOU WILL NOT DIE.

2. TEST GOD - If YOU DRINK POISON, YOU will TEST if GOD WILL TRULY DO WHAT HE SAID.
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KNOWING THAT, THERE is NO REASON for YOU to DO WHAT the MUSLIM is CHALLENGING YOU TO DO.

The LORD JESUS HIMSELF NEVER GAVE IN to the TEMPTATION of the DEVIL.

Instead, DO what the LORD JESUS DID: TELL the DEVIL that WE LIVE "by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

GOD, the LORD JESUS, ALREADY SAID that WE WOULD NOT BE HARMED if WE DRINK POISON, so WE HOLD ON TO THAT. THERE is NO REASON to TEST HIM and HIS WORDS.

Next, SAY, "It is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

WE, CHRISTIANS, BELIEVE in the WORDS of GOD. WE DO NOT NEED TO -- and WE SHOULD NOT -- PUT GOD to the TEST.
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To FEEL that WE NEED to PROVE Mark 16:17-18 or to be ASHAMED that WE DID NOT DO IT is ARROGANCE on OUR PART. GOD DOES NOT NEED to PROVE HIMSELF. HE is GOD.

Besides, GOD ALREADY PROVED HIS WORDS in Mark 16:17-18. He PROVED IT during the TIME of the FIRST CHRISTIANS, and the PROOF is RECORDED in the BIBLE.

1. "by using my name they will cast out demons" - Mark 6:12-13, the DISCIPLES DROVE OUT DEMONS in the NAME of the LORD JESUS.

2. "they will speak in new tongues" - Acts 2:4-11, the DISCIPLES PREACHED and THEY SPOKE in MANY DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.

3. "they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them" - Acts 28:3-6, a VIPER (very poisonous SNAKE) ATTACKED the ARM of PAUL and HE WAS NOT HURT.

4. "they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." - Acts 9:40, Peter not only HEALED a DEAD WOMAN, HE RAISED HER from the DEAD through the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

5. Papias, who lived in the first century, testified that a Christian, Justus surnamed Barsabas, swallowed a deadly poison, and received no harm. The PROMISE of GOD is FULFILLED.

So, MARK 16:17-18 had ALREADY BEEN PROVEN. There is NO NEED FOR US to PROVE IT OURSELVES.

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C. MUSLIM HYPOCRISY EXPOSED

MUSLIMS often say, "INSHALLAH." This means, "GOD'S WILL BE DONE."

But this TRICK that THEY USE EXPOSES their WEAK BELIEF in GOD. By PLAYING this TRICK, MUSLIMS SHOW that THEY DO NOT TRUST GOD'S WILL. That is why THEY WANT to TEST GOD and HIS WORDS.

So, again, the CONTRADICTORY TEACHINGS and ACTIONS of MUSLIMS are EXPOSED when THEY PLAY the TRICK USING MARK 16:17-18.

And THAT SHOULD MAKE US THANKFUL that WE ARE NOT MUSLIMS.