What do you think about laughing in the spirit?

[xdisciplex]

What I somehow find a bit strange is that all these things only occur in charismatic churches. Why not also in other churches? And what if you for example think that this is not from God but you were wrong, does this mean you blasphemed the holy spirit?

 

[Brian30755]

I have witnessed this happen with only one particular person, on about 3 different occasions. However, it was NOT in a charismatic or pentacostal church, but in a little country independent Baptist church (not charismatic at all) where my wife's parents attend.

To answer your question, No, I don't think you've blasphemed the Holy Spirit by thinking it's not from God (For example, if you think the person is only doing it to draw attention to themselves.) But if you say "That's of the devil", well, that may be another story.

 

[standingfirminChrist]

I do not agree with the 'laughing revival' movement. The Bible clearly tells us 'Let all things be done decently and in order'. I do not call it order when someone is trying to preach a message and people start laughing.

Laughter is contagious, folks. All it takes is someone giggling because something struck them funny. It spreads.

I have seen it and it is all a show. And I do not think I am blaspheming God to say so. There is to be an order in the house of God and in these movements there is no order at all.

 

[xdisciplex]

But there are people which say that this is from the devil. If they are wrong, does this mean that they have blasphemed the holy spirit and are lost?

 

[Brian30755]

But there are people which say that this is from the devil. If they are wrong, does this mean that they have blasphemed the holy spirit and are lost?

There are those on this board who do not believe that attributing the work of God to the devil is blasphemy. Personally, I wouldn't take the chance.

If you disagree with something (laughing in the spirit, falling out, speaking in tongues, etc.), that's one thing. Saying it's "of the flesh" is one thing. But to attribute these actions to Satan is, in my opinion, walking on very thin ice.

 

[tamborine lady]

I do not agree with the 'laughing revival' movement. The Bible clearly tells us 'Let all things be done decently and in order'. I do not call it order when someone is trying to preach a message and people start laughing.

************************************

We have people at our church that "laugh" in the spirit sometimes, but NOT WHEN THE PASTOR IS PREACHING"!!

Sheesh!!

Picky picky picky!!

Can't people see the good side of anything???

Peace,

Tam

 

[music4Him]

Pro 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones

Ecc 9:7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.

Isa 61:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

No where does these scriptures say when or where you can have a merry heart or when the oil of joy will be poured out on ya. I agree that there is a time and a place for everything. But I have been down before and then...... I don't know something happened, and it was like my burdens were lifted and just a happiness that I can't explain filled me....til my sides ached. It just struck me funny!

Psalm 30:5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

 

[music4Him]

BTW, is there anything wrong with laughing?

You don't stop laughing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop laughing.

 

[hillclimber]

Is there something here I'm missing? Laughter is fun and healthy. God has a sense of humor. See the platypus.

 

[DHK]

Originally posted by hillclimber:
Is there something here I'm missing? Laughter is fun and healthy. God has a sense of humor. See the platypus.

Yes you are missing something. They are not speaking of laughter, as in response to a joke. This is more of what they are referring to:

As he repeats, "These are not drunk as you suppose," "the drunkard" begins his routine:

While sitting in his pew a man throws his head back and laughs heartily, kicking one leg up in the air. Suddenly he bolts from his seat and does a locomotive-action shuffle in a tight circle. Then he faces Howard-Browne, kicks one leg out in front and does a pratfall. Another man jumps out of his seat, does the same sort of locomotion shuffle, arms flailing wildly, and falls on the floor. Shortly afterward the first man gets up and staggers around with a mock drunken smile on his face, salutes Howard- Browne and plops down in the pew again. It is obviously contrived, but Howard-Browne and the audience eat it up.

Things continue in the same vein for the rest of the evening.

Rodney Howard-Browne likes to call himself a "Holy Ghost bartender" who dispenses the "new wine" of charismatic fervor. ...

Take your choice: a fraud or a demon?

Read more at:
LAUGHING REVIVAL

 

[music4Him]

I watched Rodney Howard Brown at the former church I went to..... I didn't think it was funny. Although some there did laugh.

BTW, This isn't the way it happens in our church.

 

[DHK]

Originally posted by music4Him:
I watched Rodney Howard Brown at the former church I went to..... I didn't think it was funny. Although some there did laugh.

BTW, This isn't the way it happens in our church.

Perhaps not. But a simple search on the internet will show that it is either very common or very typical (or both) of Charismatic churches.
DHK

 

[music4Him]

Well I guess I'm not the very typical Charismatic catagory.

 

[hillclimber]

Oh my Thanks for the clarification DHK.
PT Barnham once supposedly said, "there's a sucker born every day"
How would you like to meet the Lord one day and have to explain that? Not me.

 

[Brother Ian]

Sorry, I don't think "holy laughtter" is of God at all. There is nothing wrong with laughing, but to laugh in the Spirit? Gimme a break.

 

[standingfirminChrist]

Having spent the last 4 of my teen years with the circus, and studied much of circus histery, I found out that although it is said PT Barnum is quoted as saying 'there's a sucker born every minute' he did not coin that phrase at all.

It was actually a banker named David Hannum who was commenting on Phineas' Cardiff giant.

[ December 31, 2005, 05:57 PM: Message edited by: standingfirminChrist ]

 

[Ben W]

I went along to a Rodney Howard Browne crusade when he came out to Australia. The media got involved and reported alot on it, the largest AOG church here had some people leave and make statements to the newspaper. They finished up going to the Bible Presbyterian Church which is quite different in many ways to the AOG!

Many Pentecostal pastors got on the bandwagon and made statements that this would all be followed by a flood of souls to the kingdom in these meetings, I did not see this eventuate in the two churches that I knew of that were into it.

What bothered me is what if it was happening for real for some people, and others were copying it, as I feel happens with tounges? People see something and then copy it by sheer weight of wanting to be a part of that it grows into something that God has not called into being.

As for Rodney Howard Browne, I have no idea what he has been up to scince. Maybe someone here knows?

 

[xdisciplex]

But can a christian accidentally without wanting it blaspheme the holy spirit? This would be terrible. What if I have done it and don't even know it? This scares me!
I mean what if you frivolously judge a phenomenon and are wrong? Does this mean that this counts as blaspheming the holy spirit? I mean everybody makes mistakes. Humans sometimes act frivolously.

 

[DHK]

Originally posted by xdisciplex:
But can a christian accidentally without wanting it blaspheme the holy spirit? This would be terrible. What if I have done it and don't even know it? This scares me!
I mean what if you frivolously judge a phenomenon and are wrong? Does this mean that this counts as blaspheming the holy spirit? I mean everybody makes mistakes. Humans sometimes act frivolously.

No, Personally I don't believe it is possible to commit the sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit today. The Pharisees were attributing the miracles of Christ to Satan. But they were the miracles that Christ was doing in their presence, miracles that attested of his deity, miracles which will are impossible to reproduce today--calming the seas, walking on water, raising the dead, etc. These were miracles they had seen. They demonstrated His deity. "No man can do these things except he be from God," said Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He believed. Those that didn't but attributed Christ's works to another spirit rather than the Holy Spirit committed blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Christ is not doing miracles today that attest of his deity. I don't believe that sin is possible to commit today.
DHK

 

[Bro. Ruben]

Pardon my ignorance.

What is "laughing in the Spirit" per se?