Holy Laughter

Please note the articles are from different sources and
referenced as numbered.

[1] A phenomenon that has swept through many Vineyard churches is that known as "holy laughter." Many churches are reporting spontaneous, uncontrollable laughter erupting from their congregations, even during times of solemn ceremony or messages from the pulpit. Some report uncontrollable weeping, falling to the floor in ecstatic trances, and animal noises such as barking like dogs and roaring like lions. Some stagger and reel like drunken people, unable to walk a straight line. For simplicity's sake, all these have come to be called "holy laughter," since laughter is the pre-eminent phenomenon displayed. In simple terms, it is physical manifestations in the form of virtually any expression attributed to absolute control by the Holy Spirit. Proponents of these phenomena say they are evidence of a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in response to the people's desire to see a new sign from God.

The phenomena was imported into the United States and Canada from South Africa through one Rodney Howard-Browne. It erupted in 1994 at the Toronto Airport Vineyard in Toronto, Canada, pastored by John Arnott. The bizarre exhibitions of human flesh in this movement are in every way similar to what, for centuries, have been regarded as evidence of demonic influences. It's little wonder that the Vineyard has led the charge, considering the lack of discernment on the part of its leadership. Actually, these manifestations were in evidence during the early years of Wimber's Vineyard ministry.

Initially, John Wimber kept a wait-and-see attitude, while validating the experiences as perhaps fleshly at times, but, overall, a move of God -- "There's nothing in Scripture that supports these kinds of phenomena that I can see, and I can't think of anything throughout the church age that would. So I feel no obligation to try to explain it. It's just phenomena. It's just people responding to God" (2/95, Charisma). In December, 1995, he moved to disenfranchise the Toronto Airport Vineyard. This was perceived by some as evidence that the Vineyard was acting reasonably to keep such phenomena separate from its "legitimate" ministry.

However, the reason given by the leadership of the Association of Vineyard Churches (AVC) was not that the Association rejected the goings-on at Toronto, but that the Toronto Airport Vineyard had gone "over the edge" by promoting and encouraging the animal sounds and accompanying behavior (Marcia Ford, "Toronto Church Ousted From Vineyard," Charisma and Christian Life, 2/96, p. 12). In September 1994, the AVC issued guidelines which indicated that, while they were not against such phenomena, they did not want it promoted.

It needs to be emphasized, John Wimber never did reject the laughing revival. He endorsed John Arnott's book, The Father's Blessing. He merely rejected some of the grosser aspects of this movement. The Vineyard Association's statement of December 1995 concluded:

Why would Wimber and the AVC take such harsh measures since Wimber himself had endorsed the Toronto phenomena, and since he had allowed the same behavior in his own meetings? Are they manifestations of God or not? If so, why not allow Arnott to promote and encourage them? If not, why has the AVC not condemned them and taken similar action against the other almost 50% of Vineyard churches that encourage the phenomena?

Not ever being able to take a firm stand on the authority of these things, the AVC decided to dissociate from the most visible and central Vineyard church promoting these phenomena, on the basis that its pastor did not comply with the AVC Board's position. The AVC Board took the same non-committal stance that Wimber had taken. In fact, they allowed their statement to be subject to the discretion of the local pastors.

The Kansas City Connection

Toward the mid to late 1980s, Wimber became enamored by the ministry team of the Kansas City Fellowship, or as they became known as, "The Kansas City Prophets." At an August 1989 conference in Denver, Colorado, Wimber called on Vineyard pastors to receive their ministry.

Interestingly enough, in 1990, when the Kansas City Prophets began to be exposed as fraudulent, it was to Wimber that they went for "correction." But, he never stopped promoting the erroneous teachings of Paul Cain, Mike Bickle, Bob Jones, and John Paul Jackson. In 1991, he did stop promoting Bob Jones, but not because of heresy, but because of immorality.

The point is that Wimber, by his acceptance of false prophets, paved the way for an unquestioning acceptance of "prophets" in general. Of course, there is nothing wrong with "modern day prophets" as long as they will submit to the tests of Deut. 18 and Deut. 13. But, these prophets actually boasted about the margin of error that the Lord had graciously allowed them!

The Gifts of the Spirit

God always has performed and always will perform His miracles according to His own purpose and pleasure. The excesses and errors of the Vineyard, as well as many within the charismatic and Pentecostal churches, merely prove that most of what is transpiring in the name of God's power is really the flesh of man seeking a sign to validate the truth of God's Word.

Essentially, the [permanent] gifts of the Spirit are given primarily for the edification of the Church, not for evangelism. The sign gifts, i.e., the miraculous gifts, have ceased. This does not negate the fact that God might occasionally use the gifts to convict and convince those He has chosen for salvation. But first and foremost, the gifts are for "power edification," not "power evangelism."

Conclusion

To hear virtually every major teacher in the Church today, there are no false teachers except those who call out the false teachers and staunchly insist on a defense of the Faith -- the so-called "heretic hunters." Why are few leaders of any real magnitude warning the brethren about false teachers? Because most are the false teachers. They are compromising with the Vatican to lead all of Christendom back under the papal umbrella. And the central force for that unity is not the true Gospel; it is false "love" combined with false doctrine and lying signs and wonders -- miracles of God -- implemented through occult methodologies.

Refs:

[1] http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/exposes/wimber/john.htm