Thread: Spirit of Laughter??

Is there ever a time in the Bible where God the Spirit is refered to as the Spirit of Laughter? I have never seen this before and a Charasmatic person just brought it up and I was like "What!!??" Checking here before I tear his false spirit up.

I'm not, VERY well informed (scriptural) but I have at least been through the New Testament....I honestly have NEVER heard anything about this stuff. If anything it sounds to me like its a very bad misinterpretation of some bible verse (what bible verse that could be...I have no idea) however don't listen to me unless some other more informed person using scripture shows I am right

A cursory search shows no verse with both the words "spirit" and "laughter" in the NIV, NASB, KJV, NKJV, The Message, or the NLT.

Why am I not surprised that the person who brought this up is charismatic? There are a few instances in the Psalms (Ps 2.4; 37.13; 59.8) where God laughs but this is mocking wicked mans pride and futile efforts at defying God.

my best guess is they are referencing a movement that charismatics attribute to the Holy Spirit. This movement is called the laughing revival and it was mostly popularized by Rodney Howard-Brown. It is completely unscriptural, not to mention ridiculous. Do a google search on "laughing revival" and you will get plenty of info.

Do you a youtube search and you will actually see, where for 30 minutes there is nothing but laughter in a "church". How can this be attributed to the Holy Spirit when the Holy Spirit's ministry is convict the world of sin (John 16:8)? Surely there are times when one is full of joy, but when a so called pastor laughs for 30 minutes uncontrollably, that cannot be the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God will never hinder a man from preaching the word.

John and Charles Wesley were both seized with laughter one time: they attributed it to the devil.

Originally Posted by py3ak

John and Charles Wesley were both seized with laughter one time: they attributed it to the devil.

Really? Have a source?

Journal, v.1

See entries for:

Thursday, October 25, 1739

Saturday, October 27, 1739

and especially

Friday, May 9, 1740

Wednesday, May 24, 1740

Is there ever a time in the Bible where God the Spirit is refered to as the Spirit of Laughter? I have never seen this before and a Charasmatic person just brought it up and I was like "What!!??" Checking here before I tear his false spirit up.

I'd figure he was shooting for Isaiah 61:3. It's really popular verse in Pente/Charis churches. You have to read it in King James though to follow the trail here ...

The idea is that 'spirit of heaviness' is a literal spirit, demon oppression/possession. Oil of joy/garment of praise is talking about getting in the 'Spirit' then, which drives demons out.

Please don't shoot. I'm not saying I think this is correct. I'm just saying this is what I would expect to be the thought process.

It might be supplemented by other verses about spirits and joy, etc, but I would be surprised to find a Pente/Charis person who referred to the HG as the 'Spirit of Laughter' who also knew the Bible well enough to find any. But Is. 61:3 is well-known. There are at least three popular Pente/Charis songs that I know that are based on it.

Originally Posted by py3ak

Journal, v.1

See entries for:

Thursday, October 25, 1739

Saturday, October 27, 1739

and especially

Friday, May 9, 1740

Wednesday, May 24, 1740

online link?

I was present when a congregation of about 40 people all broke into uncontrolled laughter. During a pastoral candidates preaching, a 5 year old let out this extremely loud belch and we all lost it. Timing was everything. BTW, I'm not endorsing this, just sharing a 10 second glimpse of local Church history.

Not a single reference that I know of. What this reminds me though, are "laughing revival" meetings that I attended when I was about eight. Sounds almost like the "Toronto Blesing."

Charismania strikes again!

Oh...I'm a Charismatic, with aeat belt.

Don't bother looking up biblical references for such things as most Charismatics don't even bother themselves. Their experiences validate well, their experiences. John MacArthur characterized most Charismatics accurately in his Charismatic Chaos.

I've been down that road, trying to show them that such things are unbiblical and unwarranted. They won't appreciate it.

Maybe I'm too pessimistic, but just my humble opinion.

Hmmmm....I was told when I was a teenager that I had a demon spirit of laughter......

Originally Posted by XBlackWaterX

Originally Posted by py3ak

Journal, v.1

See entries for:

Thursday, October 25, 1739

Saturday, October 27, 1739

and especially

Friday, May 9, 1740

Wednesday, May 24, 1740

online link?

An easy way to find Wesley's journal.

Here's the Toronto Blessing version of the "Holy Laughter":



How scriptural does this seem to you?

......whoa.....was that guy on a leash? it IS confusing how people could believe this kind of stuff is of God...I would wager that scriptures probably aren't taught very much at things like this.

....that video is so appalling....no words...everything within me just *rises up*...

....that video is so appalling....no words...everything within me just *rises up*...

...and does this?

I'm glad I didn't watch it with sound...looked to me like they where howling?

Sorry, don't know. I couldn't get through it all myself.

After reading on human science, some claim a theory that the skull is like a bowl that holds your brain. When a person jumps up and down like the African dancers, Jim Morrison, Pentecostals or the vedic/Hindu dancers, he or she produces a rhythm in the bouncing brain, which is like a gel. That constant rhythm over time will produce a bliss or a stronger electrical field and the positive and the negative current flows in a circle in the brain and that produces a feel of light being shined down on the forehead. With the circular flow of electrical static in the brain, it also produces a sensation of warmth and good feelings from head to toe including falling or wriggling on the floor. That also causes laughter as well as plain babbling or tongue flicker due to tongue not touching the roof of the mouth as Tai chi masters do. The sensations of light in a tunnel is also produced from a lack of oxygen common in drowning victims in ice cold water. Lack of oxygen or too much oxygen also produces laughter and light on the forehead.
So, it comes with the naturalness of human nature. That will happen in every human being regardless of religion or no religion. If you're worshiping and that happens, they will claim its from God. If you happen to experience that while watching a popular concert, they'll claim it's from the devil. I think both sides or wrong and it's part of our natural human being. Sometimes Pentecostals come to my tai chi Qigong school to rid of the psychological disturbances. Most Pentecostals like it so let them be but ~please~ keep them off the roads.

-----Added 9/5/2009 at 10:13:27 EST-----

Originally Posted by XBlackWaterX

Originally Posted by py3ak

John and Charles Wesley were both seized with laughter one time: they attributed it to the devil.

Really? Have a source?

Some say John Wesley is the founder of Pentecostalism. I find that odd cause I don't see Charismatics in Methodist churches.

Originally Posted by Dao

Some say John Wesley is the founder of Pentecostalism. I find that odd cause I don't see Charismatics in Methodist churches.

hmm and I mistakenly thought he was the founder of Methodism

If I remember correctly, the Holiness movement was a splinter group from the Methodists. The Holiness movement had a splinter group from Azusa st/Pentecostal movement and many more groups formed out of that.

Dao
Some say John Wesley is the founder of Pentecostalism. I find that odd cause I don't see Charismatics in Methodist churches.

Having been in the Methodist denomination for many years, I was aware it was sometimes said that modern pentecostalism "came out of" or was an "offshoot of" Methodism.

The sense was of this was not that Methodists or Mr. Wesley ever believed or taught that new revelation equal to or above that of Scripture ordinarily comes outside of Scripture through two or three spiritual gifts. Nor that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a second work of grace apart from salvation. So there is no basis in Methodism as I've understood it for that ever- and thus no shared basis with pentecostalism.

Methodists were quite open to certain things like "falling under the power of the spirit" that almost might fit into a pentecostal/charismatic practice today.

Keep in mind Methodists are Arminian influenced, deliberately so, but are covenantal of a sort (Pentecostals are Arminian also but dispensational).

The commonality might come from this teaching that one can become almost sinless or perfect in sanctification in this life. That can result in "legalism" as I would understand that term and a striving toward holiness not based quite right on the biblical doctrine of grace.

Methodist became known for Mr. Wesley's "methods" and those of his followers at Oxford who methodically prayed, read Scripture, etc. The danger, biblically, here is coming to rely on the methods themselves for holiness. That's something that can give ride to legalism. That's probably where the greatest commonality with pentecostalism might be.

Lots of dear Methodist brothers and sisters out there... none consider themselves charismatic/pentecostal that I know of.

Originally Posted by INsearch

Originally Posted by Dao

Some say John Wesley is the founder of Pentecostalism. I find that odd cause I don't see Charismatics in Methodist churches.

hmm and I mistakenly thought he was the founder of Methodism

Maybe Pentecostalism was an offspring of Wesleyism.

-----Added 9/5/2009 at 10:28:36 EST-----

Originally Posted by py3ak

An easy way to find Wesley's journal.

Don't go there, It'll brainwash you and make you babble like monkeys.

Originally Posted by Dao

Originally Posted by INsearch

Originally Posted by Dao

Some say John Wesley is the founder of Pentecostalism. I find that odd cause I don't see Charismatics in Methodist churches.

hmm and I mistakenly thought he was the founder of Methodism

Maybe Pentecostalism was an offspring of Wesleyism.

perhaps..but I meant no offense, I was just being sarcastic

My former Southern Baptist church of my youth is now a charismatic gathering place called "Abba's House". I suppose that it is not too far a reach for anyone who wants *feel good religion*.

Abba's House Home Page (Abba's House)

Ron Phillips was my pastor *then*. That is one carefully crafted .....ummm..... project? I watched it happen over the years.....from a very far distance. I left as soon as I got my drivers license and THAT was when it was still a *normal* SBC.

Every time I see a video of an 'outpouring', I'm sooooooooo glad to be a Presbyterian.

I wrote a little song once called 'I'm a Presbyterian' (it's actually based on a real song called 'I'm a Pentecostal' that is wildly popular in the UPCI):

I've been known to get wild
I grew my hair way down,
Spoke in tongues almost every day,
While rolling on the ground.

I shouted and ran the aisles
And danced all around,
But being such an idiot
Is not as fun as it might sound.

I got tired of the lies and tired of the games,
Now I'm an ex-Pentecostal and that is why I say ...

I'm a Presbyterian,
So now I'm not ashamed!
You might think my church is boring,
But at least they're not insane!

And now I can wear jeans
And nobody says I'm trying to be a man,
And it's been sixteen years since I got
My hair caught in a fan.

Well, my church don't have 'revivals',
And they don't hug in greeting,
But one thing about Presbyterians--
They can really hold a meeting.

We've got spreadsheets for our budget,
We've got Calvin on the shelf,
And we'll never judge your salvation
By your hair length or your health.

We worship nice and quiet,
We never shout or dance,
And if you fall down on the floor,
We call for an ambulance.

Well, there's more to it, but you get the idea ....

Originally Posted by Caroline

Every time I see a video of an 'outpouring', I'm sooooooooo glad to be a Presbyterian.

I wrote a little song once called 'I'm a Presbyterian' (it's actually based on a real song called 'I'm a Pentecostal' that is wildly popular in the UPCI):

I've been known to get wild
I grew my hair way down,
Spoke in tongues almost every day,
While rolling on the ground.

I shouted and ran the aisles
And danced all around,
But being such an idiot
Is not as fun as it might sound.

I got tired of the lies and tired of the games,
Now I'm an ex-Pentecostal and that is why I say ...

I'm a Presbyterian,
So now I'm not ashamed!
You might think my church is boring,
But at least they're not insane!

And now I can wear jeans
And nobody says I'm trying to be a man,
And it's been sixteen years since I got
My hair caught in a fan.

Well, my church don't have 'revivals',
And they don't hug in greeting,
But one thing about Presbyterians--
They can really hold a meeting.

We've got spreadsheets for our budget,
We've got Calvin on the shelf,
And we'll never judge your salvation
By your hair length or your health.

We worship nice and quiet,
We never shout or dance,
And if you fall down on the floor,
We call for an ambulance.

Well, there's more to it, but you get the idea ....

Thats awesome

Originally Posted by Caroline

Every time I see a video of an 'outpouring', I'm sooooooooo glad to be a Presbyterian.

I wrote a little song once called 'I'm a Presbyterian' (it's actually based on a real song called 'I'm a Pentecostal' that is wildly popular in the UPCI):

I've been known to get wild
I grew my hair way down,
Spoke in tongues almost every day,
While rolling on the ground.

I shouted and ran the aisles
And danced all around,
But being such an idiot
Is not as fun as it might sound.

I got tired of the lies and tired of the games,
Now I'm an ex-Pentecostal and that is why I say ...

I'm a Presbyterian,
So now I'm not ashamed!
You might think my church is boring,
But at least they're not insane!

And now I can wear jeans
And nobody says I'm trying to be a man,
And it's been sixteen years since I got
My hair caught in a fan.

Well, my church don't have 'revivals',
And they don't hug in greeting,
But one thing about Presbyterians--
They can really hold a meeting.

We've got spreadsheets for our budget,
We've got Calvin on the shelf,
And we'll never judge your salvation
By your hair length or your health.

We worship nice and quiet,
We never shout or dance,
And if you fall down on the floor,
We call for an ambulance.

Well, there's more to it, but you get the idea ....

Love this. I'm an Ex-Pentecostal and this is perfect. But, as a Presbyterian (FPC)...I gotta say, I don't think the jeans would go over big in my church.

Originally Posted by Caroline

And they don't hug in greeting,

Well, there's more to it, but you get the idea ....

Hey, I hug nearly everyone ... it's a family thing with me!