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Ministry is a Hoot

...at least at this church. Rodney Howard Brown pastors what's know as 'the laughing church'. According to Wikipedia, Rodney Howard Browne is the self proclaimed "Holy Ghost Bartender". Rodney claims you can get drunk in the Holy Spirit and followers have been caught on film staggering around like they are drunk on alcohol. Holy Laughter is another sign the Rodney claims to be a dispensor of. He recites scriptures taken out of the book of Acts in the Bible to support his claims...

Acts 2:14-21
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words. 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Here’s a piece CNN recently ran on Brown’s ministry… see what you think...

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This post has been viewed 1184 times and was added on July 11, 2006 by Todd Rhoades.
Filed under: Engaging Culture  Trends in Today's Church  Miscellaneous  For What It's Worth  
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 TRACKBACKS: (0) There are 17 Comments:
  • Posted by Andy McAdams

    Regardless of all the laughing, I find it sad.  Sad that many will view the CNN video and once again think, “look at those weird Christians”.  I also find it sad that a church is known for laughing (so-called in the Spirit) then the proclamation of the Word of God, which brings real joy.  I also find Brown’s view on the verse (mentioned on the video) about “uncontrollable joy” as being uncontrolled laughing to be a sad misinterpretation of scripture.

  • Posted by

    I have seen this church before when some one was covering a “laughing revival” they had a lady, whose husband had been gone all week to this revival, up on stage, obviously concerned, trying to share her feelings and the whole time the congregation was laughing. Even as the Pastor was trying to speak there was uncontrollable laughter. This does not seem like it is from heaven when it distracts from the word or speaking testimony about Jesus.

  • Posted by David

    It’s funny how we can discredit what we don’t understand. For me, I have been in a service with Dr. Browne and I can tell you that the move of the spirit is authentic. It was a revival for a week that has changed my life completely

  • Posted by Brian

    No problem with having JOY.  But joy doesn’t always equate to uncontrollable laughter.

    And if the scripture referenced in the article is an indication, other scriptures are being yanked out of their context as well.

    This passage has nothing to do with Christians acting drunk.  The disciples were accused of being drunk because they were speaking the gospel in other languages, not because they were falling down in laughter.

    BTW, I know what it’s like to fall down drunk laughing.

    Also, there is no spiritual gift of “laughter” in the scriptures (or dancing, or barking like a dog!), so I am more than a bit leery of things like this anyway.

    My heart breaks for them losing their daughter, though.  That’s more than I care to have to go through, that’s for sure.

    And while I may disagree with their theology regarding “holy laughter,” the message clips on the video were at least orthodox.

    Brian

  • Posted by Brian

    Ooops.  Better clarify something: I fell down drunk laughing because I really was drunk (with alcohol, not the Holy Spirit, who I can’t find makes anyone “drunk” in scripture).

    Brian

  • Posted by Sarah

    I actually know a guy a few years ago in my youth group who laughed when he was overcome by the Holy Spirit. He was the only person we had that would do that, but he would. Sometimes silently, sometimes out loud. I loved hearing him “laugh in the Spirit”.

    I think just like with a lot of moves of the Spirit, it can be good but it can go too far. As long as these people are continuing to grow in their faith, and not just having a laugh-fest, then it’s a good thing. But if this laughing is keeping them spiritually immature, than it’s something to look out for.

    Very interesting video.

  • Posted by David

    Joy doesn’t always equate to uncontrollable laughter but uncontrollable laughter in the spirit can be connected to joy.

  • Posted by

    I watched the video.  I agree that Christians are to be filled with joy but I, too, never found any biblical basis for the laughter or the “slain in the spirit” practices supported by Brown and others of the Word of Faith movement.  O wait, Anania and Sapphira were slain in the Spirit - they died - in Acts 5.

    From watching the video I had no sense of the Spirit’s work but mostly noted people just acting out.  From my observation I have known some people so desperate to have God in their lives will often act out and give the Spirit credit.  For some people who have no joy in their lives, God can use this “laughing revival” by His grace and save some.

  • Posted by kent

    Oh man, this does not make our tasks any easier.

  • Posted by David

    How do you know someone is ACTING OUT?

  • Posted by

    How do I know if someone is acting out?  I ask them.  Some are sincere and feel they were under the influence of the Holy Spirit and others tell me “they were just following the crowd” - like peer pressure.

  • Posted by Steve Nestor

    I too find no biblical basis for this “laughing in the spirit.” I believe it makes it harder for the serious teachers of the word to get our message across to the already skeptical.  I recall an interview done on 20/20 during the Brownsville Revival, when one participant claim that she had been in a terrible auto crash several years before.  She broke her back, ribs, crack her neck ans had other injuries, and was in pain constantly.  During the interview, she twitched almost
    every minute.  Finally, the interviewer asked what the twitching was all about, for he thought God
    had healed her.  She replied, Yes, he did!  But, he gave me the twitch to remind me of the fact that he healed me.

    Sorry folks, that is not the God I served.  I have been truly healed.  God healed me of Stage Four Hodgkins Lymphoma, but he never gave me another infirmity to remind me of the healing.

    Therefore, I question if they are following the crowd or the pastor.  The word says, “test everything.” And grandma said, “if you looks to good to be true, it ain’t.”

  • Posted by

    Jesus said, “Whoever is not against us is on our side.” Mk 9:40 I John 4:2 “By this you know the Spirit of God:  Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.” I specifically heard Dr. Brown say on the snippet while preaching, that “He arose, He ascended on high, He is coming back King of kings and Lord of lords.” Sounds like he preaches the gospel.  In Acts 5 Gamaliel gives some good advice to the Sanheedrin.  speaking of the apostles he said, “keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it-lest you even be found to fight against God.” Acts 5:38--39 Jesus warned, “whoever speaks against the Holy Sprit, it willl not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” Mt 12:32 This behavior may sound foolish to you, but “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise.” I Cor 1:27 David said to Michael “I will be even more undignified than this, and will be humble in my own sight.” II Sam 6:22 I Thes 5:19 says “Do not quench the Spirit.” I think we need to be careful about criticizing what could be the work of the Spirit lest we become mondern day Saducees.

  • Posted by Steve Nestor

    Todd - there is a difference between criticizing and questioning.  I agree with all of the scripture references you note.  And as in Jesus’ day, some appeared to to teaching the truth, but were exposed by Christ himself.  I personally have known people who follow the teachings of a pastor, doctrine or church without ever exploring for themselves what the Word says.  That is the real danger.  I am not this pastor’s judge, and he like all of us will answer to God.

  • Posted by

    Hey Folks,

    I thought I would post some thing just for laughs...sorry!

    Seriously, the mark of a true work of the Holy Spirit (the fruits) is an increased desire for the word of God, an increase in evangelism, and a changed heart and lifestyle.  Yes, I am skeptical about the Holy Laughter.  I’ve seen it before and don’t understand it.  Yes, there are those who abuse and make it into a spectacle and that concerns me.  They become addicted to an emotional experience and don’t grow closer to Christ.  Yes, it flies in the face of our evangelical protestant non-Charismatic traditions (wow, we seem to have a lot of titles for ourselves) but I want to say that we need to look at with regards to it’s fruit and by scripture and leave the arrongance and judgemental attitude out of it.  If we want to move in step with Jesus, we need to always be based in love.

  • Posted by anon

    I just had to put in my two cents worth. I felt like many of you here. I was raised in the Lutheran church, then happened to discover a non-denominational church in my early twenties. Fast forward to about 8 years ago. I heard about the Toronto blessing. I boldly proclaimed it to be a hoax and said God didn’t do things like that. Then someone called my bluff and asked if I would go to Toronto to a conference if they paid my way. So I went.  Wow! It happened to me, too. I never would have believed it if I hadn’t gone. The whole time I was “in the Spirit” (for lack of a better way of putting it) it was like God was telling me jokes. They were the funniest jokes I had ever heard. Of course, I can’t remember them now, or even 5 minutes later, but I laughed until it hurt. I also remember God telling me I was in a river and the river was going to be over my head. He said I shouldn’t worry because I’d be able to breathe underwater. Sure enough, I “felt” the river come and go over my head, and just as He said, I could breathe under water!!

    If you met me, you probably wouldn’t believe I was telling this story. (There are others, too) I am extremely conservative about my behavior, kind of bashful, don’t really like being in the spot light.  And yet, this happened to me. I’ve often wondered if it was because I said it couldn’t happen that God showed me. He really does have a sense of humor, you know.  At another conference, God gave me a very tiny sliver of what His love should really feel like. When that happened, I started crying and cried for most of the four day conference, Not sad crying, mind you, but pure joy.

    I’ve been back to Toronto five or six times now. I’m never disappointed. God always shows up different than I expected. There are ALWAYS people there who have heard about the laughing and other things and try to MAKE it happen. It’s interesting, but you can tell the difference. My first time there I was kind of like the Pharisee who looked down on other people, but God made it clear to me that He was in control and could take care of everyone, even those who were faking it.

    For those of you who are familiar with Bob Mumford, he visited Toronto at one time and apparently was watching someone gyrating on the floor. Another pastor was with him. He asked the other pastor if he thought it was a demon. The other pastor said, probably. Bob Mumford asked him, “Do you think it’s coming or going?” (hehe) I thought that was hilarious.

    Just pray for God to show you. He will, and he’ll also take care of the fakers.

  • Posted by

    I question the idea that the Holy Spirit’s manifestations are “uncontrollable”. There is a fascinating passage in 1 Cor. 14:27-28 which deals with speaking in tongues. Paul writes, 27 “If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or at the most three, and each in turn, and let one interpret;
    28 but if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in the church; and let him speak to himself and to God.” So tongue speaking is not uncontrollable—two or three at the most and that is all. Andif there is no interpreter, then a person must keep silent, even if the individual feels they have something to say through a tongue.

    1 Cor 14:33 & 44 = refers to the specific aspect of “sign gifts - speaking in tongues” and that “God is not a God of confusion,” so let things be “done decently and in order.”

    So I don’t see where “uncontrollable” manifestations of the Holy Spirit has any Biblical precedent.

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