Falling Down and Holy Laughter: 'Could It Be the Devil?~ Kris Valloton

[FaithfulOne]

http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/...-%202016-05-04

I've been writing a series on some of the controversial subjects that come up over and over with people who are opposed to Bethel or that misunderstand our position on certain issues. Check out a previous article here. Today we will talk about falling down and holy laughter.

Slain in the Spirit

Another manifestation that is more prominent, but equally hard to explain, is people falling down or laughing hysterically for no obvious reason. We call the "falling down" experience being "slain in the Spirit." This happens often when we lay our hands on people to pray for them (although it happens in other situations also).

Sometimes people just seem to fall over backwards as if they just passed out. Some are conscious, while others act as if they are asleep or in some sort of trance. They most often fall backwards (I have no idea why). It has been happening for so long that we now station "catchers" behind people when we pray for them so they don't get hurt when they hit the floor.

When the people who have been "slain in the Spirit" get up off the floor, they frequently share testimonies of experiencing God in some incredible way. I personally have never had this experience myself, but I have watched thousands of people fall down when I am praying for them.

Could they be faking? No question, some are. But if you have ever witnessed this phenomenon personally, you would see for yourself that many of these people fall in such a way that if someone didn't catch them, they would bounce off the floor. In many cases it would be impossible to fake this kind of fall.

Could it be the devil? If it is the devil, he is doing a wonderful job of helping people get closer to God. In almost every case where people have been "slain in the Spirit," they report being more convinced than ever of God's love for them. This may all sound strange, but it's no stranger than many things that people experienced in the Bible.

Holy Laughter

One of the manifestations that has been most offensive to people is something we call "holy laughter." This condition occurs when, for no obvious reason, people just begin to laugh hysterically as if they are drunk. Some laugh so hard that they literally fall on the ground.

These people report being overcome by intense joy that can't be expressed with words. I have watched thousands of people all at once overcome by this manifestation. It's fun to witness someone who is really serious encounter this experience. Again, I have never experienced this condition myself, but I have carried my wife out of several meetings when she was so "spiritually drunk" that she couldn't walk.

Weird you say? Yeah, I agree, it looks that way to me too. I love what Angela Monet said: "Those who danced look quite insane to those who didn't hear the music." I think this quote applies here. Again, it's very hard to attribute this to Satan when the fruit of this manifestation is always positive in the people having the experience.

I must admit that some who watch people having this type of encounter are offended.

[Colonel]

I saw a Torben Søndergaard video recently where he layed hands on someone on the street who had just been saved and healed and with no Pentecostal background, who fell under the power.

I myself have layed hands on people who didn't know who it was and who fell under the power and were out cold for a long time.

I've personally seen a man fall backwards under the power with a straight body and land on his head on half an inch of carpet and without taking any harm from it. I was paying close attention because I was critical of the phenomenon at that time. He was also fully in clear view.

[CatchyUsername]

Wellllllllllllllll.....here's the thing.

Back in the 90s, "holy laughter" was indeed a SUPERNATURAL manifestation. I have experienced it a few times, and I was overcome with it and literally couldn't stop.

But today, especially in Renewel circles like Bethel, Toronto, and even my own Church, it's almost taught as doctrine. See, what happens now is that when the Spirit bears witness to something during worship or preaching, people will start laughing. NOT because it's supernatural, but because they "feel" connected to the Holy Spirit, or joy or whatever.

"Holy laughter" should never have been turned into this, and it should have been corrected years ago when it started turning into something emotional, imo.

It took me about a year to figure out what was happening at my own Church and then I put it together.

I talked to my son about how it occurs up at the Fredericksburg Prayer Furnace (because it absolutely does happen there, I've seen it and experienced it firsthand), and he said that if one person starts with it and it's not corporate and the leaders discern it's not a supernatural thing, and it's very distracting to everyone, leadership will take the person aside and calm it down, because it's clearly an emotional response and not supernatural.

Those are my observations about "holy laughter". Back in the Rodney Howard Browne days in the 90s, it was indeed a real phenomenon, a SUPERNATURAL thing. For the most part, almost all of it is entirely a completely different thing that manifests now, from what I have observed. And like I said, it's almost taught as doctrine now. Believe me.....I hear it.

http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/...-%202016-05-04

I've been writing a series on some of the controversial subjects that come up over and over with people who are opposed to Bethel or that misunderstand our position on certain issues. Check out a previous article here. Today we will talk about falling down and holy laughter.

Slain in the Spirit

Another manifestation that is more prominent, but equally hard to explain, is people falling down or laughing hysterically for no obvious reason. We call the "falling down" experience being "slain in the Spirit." This happens often when we lay our hands on people to pray for them (although it happens in other situations also).

Sometimes people just seem to fall over backwards as if they just passed out. Some are conscious, while others act as if they are asleep or in some sort of trance. They most often fall backwards (I have no idea why). It has been happening for so long that we now station "catchers" behind people when we pray for them so they don't get hurt when they hit the floor.

When the people who have been "slain in the Spirit" get up off the floor, they frequently share testimonies of experiencing God in some incredible way. I personally have never had this experience myself, but I have watched thousands of people fall down when I am praying for them.

Could they be faking? No question, some are. But if you have ever witnessed this phenomenon personally, you would see for yourself that many of these people fall in such a way that if someone didn't catch them, they would bounce off the floor. In many cases it would be impossible to fake this kind of fall.

Could it be the devil? If it is the devil, he is doing a wonderful job of helping people get closer to God. In almost every case where people have been "slain in the Spirit," they report being more convinced than ever of God's love for them. This may all sound strange, but it's no stranger than many things that people experienced in the Bible.

Holy Laughter

One of the manifestations that has been most offensive to people is something we call "holy laughter." This condition occurs when, for no obvious reason, people just begin to laugh hysterically as if they are drunk. Some laugh so hard that they literally fall on the ground.

These people report being overcome by intense joy that can't be expressed with words. I have watched thousands of people all at once overcome by this manifestation. It's fun to witness someone who is really serious encounter this experience. Again, I have never experienced this condition myself, but I have carried my wife out of several meetings when she was so "spiritually drunk" that she couldn't walk.

Weird you say? Yeah, I agree, it looks that way to me too. I love what Angela Monet said: "Those who danced look quite insane to those who didn't hear the music." I think this quote applies here. Again, it's very hard to attribute this to Satan when the fruit of this manifestation is always positive in the people having the experience.

I must admit that some who watch people having this type of encounter are offended.

[Lista]

I've experienced both, though only once for the laughter, and only twice for the falling out. I'm a skeptical person, and I know BOTH of those instances were real for me. I wasn't "putting on" and no one pushed me. In fact, with the laughter...I laughed for almost 2 hours straight. When it finally tapered off I was sore as if I had been exercising all that time. Believe me I wouldn't have done either on purpose.

[fuego]

Back in the Rodney Howard Browne days in the 90s, it was indeed a real phenomenon, a SUPERNATURAL thing.

Right after Mrs fuego and I got married, I played her a RHB video. She had never heard of him. This is while we were still at Brownsville. I think it was 2000. Anyway, we watched the video, then went to bed. I can't remember what triggered it, but 'it' got on us and we started laughing so hard I thought I was gonna croak. Probably lasted about 20-30 minutes. 'It' got on us through the video. :)

[Quest]

Right after Mrs fuego and I got married, I played her a RHB video. She had never heard of him. This is while we were still at Brownsville. I think it was 2000. Anyway, we watched the video, then went to bed. I can't remember what triggered it, but 'it' got on us and we started laughing so hard I thought I was gonna croak. Probably lasted about 20-30 minutes. 'It' got on us through the video. :)

Stirred your spirit's joy...I believe when He stirs us this way He heals something in our soul..frees us.

[CatchyUsername]

The first time I "fell out", I was literally unconscious. I was a baby Christian and I was anointed with oil on my right temple. Next thing I knew, I was looking at the ceiling. No exaggeration. I wasn't looking for, nor expecting it. And it wasn't a "slain in the Spirit" line or anything like that at all. It was a more subdued, Sunday night service at my AOG Church where falling out wasn't particularly common.

I knew it was real after that, too. It has happened to me a few times where I was literally knocked down, but only a few times in 28 years.....

I've experienced both, though only once for the laughter, and only twice for the falling out. I'm a skeptical person, and I know BOTH of those instances were real for me. I wasn't "putting on" and no one pushed me. In fact, with the laughter...I laughed for almost 2 hours straight. When it finally tapered off I was sore as if I had been exercising all that time. Believe me I wouldn't have done either on purpose.

[CatchyUsername]

I know! When Morningstar had their "breakout" in 2008, a guy laid hands on me and I started laughing hysterically for 5 minutes and could NOT stop. In my observation, it is a transferable thing.

Right after Mrs fuego and I got married, I played her a RHB video. She had never heard of him. This is while we were still at Brownsville. I think it was 2000. Anyway, we watched the video, then went to bed. I can't remember what triggered it, but 'it' got on us and we started laughing so hard I thought I was gonna croak. Probably lasted about 20-30 minutes. 'It' got on us through the video. :)

[fuego]

When it finally tapered off I was sore as if I had been exercising all that time.

It definitely good for tightening the stomach muscles.

[Romans828]

Stirred your spirit's joy...I believe when He stirs us this way He heals something in our soul..frees us.

The first time it (Spirit Laughter) happened to me, it was at an Early Morning Prayer Service - It came upon me and my (not-at-the-time) Hubby as we were praying and seeking God for confirmation about whether we were to get married.

Since then, it has occurred off and on over the last 30 years - Most recently, 2 weeks ago, during our Sunday morning worship.

I always feel so refreshed afterwards - As if a burden has been lifted.