- Jul 22, 2014
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This of putting charismatics under the impression that are all deceived, and all of what they say about gifts and manifestations in their churches are a lie and not of the Holy spirit, is dangerous stuff for the people who hold this view, they may be speaking against God, myself i'm sure they are speaking against God, because the Holy spirit did to me a lot of things in a charismatic / pentecostal church.
Well, it is not wrong to point out if men are doing specific sins or if they are acting in an unbiblical way. Just because certain men are in the Charismatic movement does not shield them from me in correcting them in doing wrong. As I said to you before, I am open to the fact that there may be a small unknown group of Charismatics who do operate by all of the gifts in secret in a biblical way. I believe this to be a 5% or 10% chance. But the rest of what I have seen in the majority of Charismatic movement is not biblical (from what I have seen so far).
For example:
Rodney Howard-Browne is the founder of the Holy laughter movement. Howard said this to God in public prayer:
"'Either You come down here and touch me, or I will come up there and touch You,' he prayed in desperation" (The Touch of God, p. 73).
The arrogance to demand anything from God reveals and attitude of self-love. This is reflected in Howard-Browne's demand that if God didn't do something for him he would ascend into heaven and touch God. Sound familiar?
I will give you a hint.
Tower of Babel.
In the following spoiler button, you will find an account of one of Rodney Howard-Browne's meetings:
It is disturbing to say the least.
Howard-Browne calls a pastor forward who, the night before, had said he was ready to check himself into a mental clinic. Promising a double dose of the Holy Spirit this night, Howard-Browne lays his hand on the man, who promptly falls to the floor.
Howard-Browne then puts one foot on the man's stomach and pronounces that he will go forth forever changed. This sets the stage for working his audience into laughter, and disproves the claims that he does not provoke laughing responses:
"Someone said, 'Why'd you put your foot on him?' Because I didn't feel like bending down and putting my hand on him."
The audience erupts in laughter; from this point on things begin to roll. He then does similarly with the man's wife. Having fallen, she prays somewhat quietly. Howard-Browne tells her not to pray. He exhorts her with the words, "Joy! joy! joy!"
One person after another is called out to receive his anointing. Those who do not laugh, he prompts to do so. Most take quite a bit of prompting. One man lies there, also praying quietly. This is how Howard-Browne addresses him:
"Stop praying now and let the joy bubble out your belly. Joy. Joy. Joy. Don't pray! Laugh!"
The audience laughs all the more as he goes from person to person prodding them to laugh. If it seems to be belaboring the point it's to demonstrate that, contrary to claims that holy laughter is spontaneous and uncontrollable, it is more often induced through coercion. Going back to a man he had kicked in the foot, Howard-Browne chides him:
"Why didn't you listen to the preacher? Why didn't you listen to the preacher? I said laugh!"
The man is coerced. He erupts into an obviously strained attempt to laugh under this intimidation. So much for the claims that the laughter is uncontrollable and spontaneous.
Then comes Howard-Browne's ridicule of those who do not wish to enter into his laugh parade. Making a dour face he continues:
"Some people say, 'I don't want that joy brother Rodney. [His face becomes even more dour.] I'm happy just like I am. My great grandfather was sad. My grandfather was sad. And when he died -- just before he died -- he looked at me and said, 'Son, will you carry on the family tradition?' And I said, 'Yes, dad.'"
Hoots and hollering erupt from the audience as they join in laughing to derision those who don't enter in.
After some more banter calling people "ugly things" who aren't open to the Holy Spirit (read "open to falling down and laughing"), Howard-Browne slaps on the side of the head a man sitting on the front pew. The man falls over onto the pew, shaking his legs and hands in the air. The audience continues to roll with laughter.
Another man comes forward, goes down under Howard-Browne's touch and begins to pray. Says Howard-Browne:
"Get out of the praying mode and get into the rejoicing mode! Pray when you go home! Lord, have mercy! I mean, if their prayers had been working they wouldn't have had to come up here in the first place."
Howard-Browne then puts one foot on the man's stomach and pronounces that he will go forth forever changed. This sets the stage for working his audience into laughter, and disproves the claims that he does not provoke laughing responses:
"Someone said, 'Why'd you put your foot on him?' Because I didn't feel like bending down and putting my hand on him."
The audience erupts in laughter; from this point on things begin to roll. He then does similarly with the man's wife. Having fallen, she prays somewhat quietly. Howard-Browne tells her not to pray. He exhorts her with the words, "Joy! joy! joy!"
One person after another is called out to receive his anointing. Those who do not laugh, he prompts to do so. Most take quite a bit of prompting. One man lies there, also praying quietly. This is how Howard-Browne addresses him:
"Stop praying now and let the joy bubble out your belly. Joy. Joy. Joy. Don't pray! Laugh!"
The audience laughs all the more as he goes from person to person prodding them to laugh. If it seems to be belaboring the point it's to demonstrate that, contrary to claims that holy laughter is spontaneous and uncontrollable, it is more often induced through coercion. Going back to a man he had kicked in the foot, Howard-Browne chides him:
"Why didn't you listen to the preacher? Why didn't you listen to the preacher? I said laugh!"
The man is coerced. He erupts into an obviously strained attempt to laugh under this intimidation. So much for the claims that the laughter is uncontrollable and spontaneous.
Then comes Howard-Browne's ridicule of those who do not wish to enter into his laugh parade. Making a dour face he continues:
"Some people say, 'I don't want that joy brother Rodney. [His face becomes even more dour.] I'm happy just like I am. My great grandfather was sad. My grandfather was sad. And when he died -- just before he died -- he looked at me and said, 'Son, will you carry on the family tradition?' And I said, 'Yes, dad.'"
Hoots and hollering erupt from the audience as they join in laughing to derision those who don't enter in.
After some more banter calling people "ugly things" who aren't open to the Holy Spirit (read "open to falling down and laughing"), Howard-Browne slaps on the side of the head a man sitting on the front pew. The man falls over onto the pew, shaking his legs and hands in the air. The audience continues to roll with laughter.
Another man comes forward, goes down under Howard-Browne's touch and begins to pray. Says Howard-Browne:
"Get out of the praying mode and get into the rejoicing mode! Pray when you go home! Lord, have mercy! I mean, if their prayers had been working they wouldn't have had to come up here in the first place."
A Christian author observes this about holy laughter:
There is an uncanny and even creepy lack of bodily control exhibited by people who are involved in holy laughter. I have seen many videos and a few up close examples, and in most of these, especially the many more severe cases (which are considered to be the most spiritual) we see the subject being unable to control themselves. This is a stronger lack of control than someone under the influence of narcotics or alcohol. In fact many people even appear to be possessed for lengthy periods of time, and flail around their bodies to the point of physical harm. Conversely the Scriptures require that a man of God be “sober” (1 Peter 4:7, 5:8). Someone who is sober has the ability to judge his actions. Furthermore, the Holy Scriptures also compel us to be self-controlled, we are urged continually and many times to have a mind that I ready for action and a body that is under control (1 Pet 1:18, Prov 25:28, 2 Tim 1:17, Titus 1:8). In fact one sign that the Holy Spirit is indeed doing a work in you is self control (Gal 5:23, 2 Tim 1:7). This is not possible when one is on the floor laughing and cannot even string two words together before unraveling at the seams.
Sources used:
http://jbeard.users.rapidnet.com/bdm/Psychology/holylaugh.htm
Is holy laughter in the Bible?
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