The "Holy Laughter" Phenomenon

Edit note: this thread will be moved to The Workshop within 12 hours since this is a Workshop-like topic.

Before it does move...

Maybe someone should give me some background on this...I don't think I've heard of it.

the laughter thing is when the Holy Spirit comes in manifested power, and the fruit of joy is so taken in that people laugh - some quiet hysterically, and others quite "in-the-flesh" which has sparked controversy over it's origination as a God-initiated event.

Psychologically laughter is addictive and contagious. It's a great malady to have. But when it comes as a result of pure joy from the Lord, it's realization becomes one of expericing a type of peace-that-surpasses-understanding joy that is unstoppable except by our own selves. Because people are so hungry for the "realness" of God, they will force this laughter which I personally believe is real in some circumstances, but the counterfiet is so off-key that it distorts the Church's general perception that it is from God.

What is more sad in my opinion is of the debate that continues to rage over this. The fact is, both sides are right. Yes some laughter is obviously our response to something spiritual happening within us (the fruit of joy). And Yes, some people doing it are doing it for attention and because they have worked themselves up phsychologically that they think they are doing it because of God when in fact it could really is just them, or even something not of God. But since most experiences of this joy releases something physcologically that is good for a spiritually-dead congregation to get closer with God; the evidence tends to conclude this:

The joy, when it is real, is spiritual and of God.
The laughter is real, is a result of the joy, but of ultimatly man.

God can't make someone love him, and thus he can't make someone laugh. It's our choice. It's our reaction to Him and what He is doing. It is anything that He puts on your heart that you are so at a peace about that you can't simply but help laugh at the ridiculousness of your worry or problem. That is what this Holy Spirit laughter seems to be all about, and I hope I've managed to show both sides of the coin.

In short: it's good, just like everything in life is good and the devil has tried to counterfiet; but make sure it's the pure, holy, and God-honoring kind of "good" thing that God intended it to be and not a tool for the enemy. I will never judge a gift of God bad, but I will definatly judge the fruit that such things do and always manifest: good or bad.

I have experienced this joy, as every Christian should. I have even allowed myself to laugh right alongside other because somehow I knew that we all really needed it.

God bless,
<><
Ryan

the "gift" is simply the fruit of joy. That can be found in Galations.

The laughter, as I said, is our reaction to that joy.

The only encounter I had with this "Holy Laughter" thingie **shudder** no, the gospel that came with it was not of God.

The Toronto Revival is part of the Vineyard Movement which was started by John Wimber. I think he is deceased now but the movement continues on.

May not agree with it but they do have some beautiful music.

Originally posted by akthomas
Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I'm looking for scriptural backing to this movement that seems to be catching on in a number of churches.

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What scriptural backing? There is none! This is nothing more than social/psychological manipulation that any good stage hypnotist can do. I suggest you read, "Counterfeit Revival" by Hank Hanegraaff, it explains how they do it.

God Bless

Read the book called counterfit revivial.

The Toronto Revival is part of the Vineyard Movement which was started by John Wimber. I think he is deceased now but the movement continues on.

May not agree with it but they do have some beautiful music.

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Yes, they do have some beautiful music. John Wimber used to be a keyboard player in the Righteous Brothers before he became a Christian and thus the musical influence. He died in 1997 after having several health related problems over the years.

I have been attending a Vineyard church for about the past 1.5 yrs. and have not seen any evidence of the Toronto Blessing and its manifestations. Actually it is pretty low-key. I did visit a Vineyard church back in the mid 90's when the Toronto Blessing was evidenced in some Vineyard churches, but I did not see anything strange during the time I visited. However, I have to say that it was a reason I did not want to join the church at that time.

A Vineyard pastor by the name of Randy Clark first introduced "holy laughter" into his church in 1993, and it later spread to the Toronto Airport Vineyard which is pastored by John Arnott. The Association of Vineyard Churches severed ties with the Toronto Ariport Vineyard (now Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship) I believe in December 1995. The January 28, 1996 issue of Christianitiy Today stated the following:

...Wimber and others "have been increasingly troubled by animal manifestations, including doglike barking." The report issued by the Vineyard Association in December 1995 stated, "The AVC [Association of Vineyard Churches] Board has taken a stand that these manifestations are not to be encouraged, spotlighted, explained, defended or prayed for. We do not believe that they are an essential part of renewal or of the work of the Holy Spirit. ... In spite of this the leaders of TAV [Toronto Airport Vineyard] have continued to encourage, spotlight and defend these manifestations."

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The Vineyard Church was also involved in a prophetic movement prior to the Toronto Blessing phenomena which was also controversial. A Vineyard pastor by the name of Bill Jackson wrote a book entitled "Quest for the Radical Middle" which discusses the history of the Vineyard with warts and all. I thought it was an excellent book, and it does not try to downplay the problems in the past. I would highly recommend it.

Also if interested, I wrote a paper entitled "Examing the Vineyard" to capture what I have read about the Vineyard church and its history. It can be accessed from ny webpage at

http://www.geocities.com/berean_315/Papers.htm


Gerald

I havent heard of any of this...
thanks for shareing it all...

A friend told me that the laughing revival started at china at the house churches there.

They were driven by years of oppression and God gave them the gift of laughter for the things that happened to them in the past for they nothing to laugh or to be happy about before.

I personally believe that this gift has a specific purpose and may not be used by all.

JMHO.

Originally posted by berean_315
the Toronto Blessing phenomena

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I have a Video tape sent out by Richard Roberts. In this tape, he is trying to sing a song of worship and praise unto God and is not able to, because he keeps falling to the floor laughing. I know that the laughter is not of God. Because we enter into the presense of God though worship and praise. God's Holy Spirit would never stop someone from praising God.

Also, I use to attend a Church here that had people who would go to the "Toronto Blessing" and they wanted to bring it back to our church. I remember once we were praying for someone and everything was fine. Then when we were finished praying, these two women in the church would look at each other and all of a sudden they would fall to the ground laughing. It would come on them that fast. I knew it was not of God. The proper name for it is "mirth" or "hilarity". This was worshiped by the Greeks also, before Christianity came along. To be sure, as Solomon says, there is nothing new under the sun.

Proverbs 14:13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.

Eccles. 7:4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.

There do seem to be two opposing camps on this issue - those that say it is of God, and those that say it is not of God.

However, I was inbetween - I just didn't know......

You should remember that "the enemy doesn't counterfeit brown paper" What does this mean? It means that he only counterfeits things that are of value, to "throw us off the scent" and to confuse us - so to speak.

There can be evil manifestations of laughter, it's true, but we shouldn't believe that all laughing manifestations are of the enemy. Anywhere that I have seen such phenomena, it seems to me that God has been enjoying an intimate relationship with the person concerned and vice versa i.e. it's clearly been the Lord.

Some will say that it is not in the Bible, but I would say that I think it is - what better way is there to express joy than through laughter. I would also say that I don't see that it in any way contradicts scripture (some strange things happened at Penetecost).

I am still in the middle but more inclined to believe that God is enjoying His people.

I tend to find that those who condemn it are usually people who themselves need a real experience of the Lord.

Toronto (and Holy Trinity Brompton in my own country) are often cited in such conversations. I have been to both with questions in my own mind, and whilst I have not personally had the experience, I'm of the opinion that it is a valid expression of the outpouring of God's love to His people......

A tree is known by its fruit... even if certain manifestations of the Spirit may not be mentioned in the bible it doesn't mean they are invalid if the result(fruit) of it their spiritual passion is re-energised and they proclaim Jesus is Lord.

You cannot argue that it is not of God just because a manifestation is not in the bible - neither can you argue that it is of God because it is not in the bible. But the word says that you judge a tree by its fruit and if their laughter means they go on fire for Jesus then I'm not stopping it!

But if it means people begin to determine their own theology by holding the bible to their experience rather than the experience to the bible then beware, rebuke in love. It may simply mean they are in error, it doesn't mean Satan is on to them or something.

cheers,

Discernment.
If I see anything like this happening, I pray that God will show me whether or not this is of Him. I was in a church one time where this so-called "prophet" started laying people out, then he said "I got something better now", looked at someone and laughed "Ha ha", like that. This person immediately started laughing. This prophet went around the room and just looked at people and said "Ha ha" and they would start laughing. I prayed for God to show me it was of Him. That "prophet" would not look at me at all.
Discernment. Ask for it. Discern the spirits, and you will know.

Originally posted by Blackwing
A friend told me that the laughing revival started at china at the house churches there.

They were driven by years of oppression and God gave them the gift of laughter for the things that happened to them in the past for they nothing to laugh or to be happy about before.

I personally believe that this gift has a specific purpose and may not be used by all.

JMHO.

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I think you have the best answer....In instances like that I can believe that it is of God for the reasons you gave, if its needed......but in big revivals with, like the whole barking like dogs thing I have heard about as well....That is not of God and just ridiculous.

lol I haven't heard anyone barking yet, but I did hear a woman go into what sounded like a howl. Spooky.

Looks to me like people just seem to want to start something different, to be noticed or just because they think it's neat that they can start something. Sorta like a bunch of kids in the playground and one of them decides to make a wierd noise and pretty soon all of them are doing it (I know this from experience).
It's easy to be led astray if you're starving for the Word. That's why we need to pray for spiritual discernment in what is of Him and what is not.