- Newt Gingrich Visits the “Holy Ghost Bartender”
Browne is no inconsequential—or uncontroversial—figure in the world of charismatic Christianity. He's been described by Christianity Today as the "often flamboyant Pentecostal preacher." He's associated with the "holy laughter" manifestation of charismatic gifts, which the same CT piece characterized as "rang[ing] from uncontrollable laughter to the noises of animals."
Here is Browne at Oral Roberts University, along with the late Oral Roberts, where the pair was consumed with holy laughter:
A 1999 profile in the Tampa Tribune described Browne and the phenomonen that is also known as the Toronto Blessing, because of a revival sparked there:
Howard-Browne is the pastor of The River at Tampa Bay, a high-energy, racially-mixed church in Temple Terrace he founded in December 1996. Nearly 1,000 people spend about four hours in a service led by "the Holy Ghost bartender,'' as he is known.
Here, he serves the new wine of Christ, and they get drunk with joy. It's not uncommon for worshipers to break into uncontrollable "holy laughter,'' shaking with mirth, dancing in the aisles or falling to the ground. They say they are "slain in the spirit.''
The movement has swept churches in Lakeland, Pensacola, southern California and Toronto. Although holy laughter has caused quite a controversy in charismatic circles, historians say it has been around for centuries.
"It's better than doing crack cocaine; it's better than drinking alcohol,'' says David Wilson, a 38- year-old carpenter and former substance abuser who now attends the River. "It's a spiritual high I never want to come off of.''
Adherents to a more orthodox brand of Christianity object to Browne's doctrine, along with his preaching of Word of Faith (or prosperity gospel), calling their views heretical and unbiblical.
Critics range from the Christian Research Institute, which aims to "provide Christians worldwide with carefully researched information and well-reasoned answers that encourage them in their faith and equip them to intelligently represent it to people influenced by ideas and teachings that assault or undermine orthodox, biblical Christianity" to televangelist watchdog Ole Anthony of the Trinity Foundation. Anthony called the high produced by Browne's revival "a phony euphoria," adding, "What happens to these converted people when the crusade packs up and leaves town? They get depressed. They get confused. So all they can do is wait for the next one so they can go back and get another fix." CRI's Hank Hanegraff, also known as the "Bible Answer Man," has called Browne's activities a "counterfeit revival," and accused him of preaching "fabrications, fantasies, and frauds."
Hanegraff has provided some detailed accounts of what it was like for him to be at a Browne revival:
When the Holy Ghost Bartender (who also refers to himself as the Holy Ghost Hitman) arrived at my seat, he began threatening to have me thrown out of the sanctuary. "I’m telling you right now," he hissed, "you’ll drop dead if you prohibit what God is doing!" Dramatically he gestured toward the crowd and warned them that those like me, who would dare question that what he was doing was of God, had committed the unpardonable sin and would not be forgiven in this world or the next.
The following day he crowed, "The last time I had a confrontation like that...was...with a bunch of Mormons... you could see their spirit, y’know...just a really religious, pharisaical spirit, that’s what it is. Amen?...And I smelt it — y’know, I can smell them religious devils from about a hundred yards —- I could smell them blindfolded, man....You could see, last night we meant business." He labeled his critics "idiots" and warned that they were about to experience either "riot or revival."Four years ago, John McCain had a "pastor problem" because of the controversial and bigoted statements made by his endorsers John Hagee and Rod Parsley. McCain responded by rejecting their endorsements and distancing himself from them. It's hard to imagine Newt (Tyler Durden) Gingrich backing away so easily, even if other Christians have issues with Browne. Will he add "heretic hunters" to the list of "elites" attacking him?
I can't resist: here's another Browne video. "Saturate them, Jesus:" [1]
Holy Laughter - What's it all about?
By Kathie Walters
I’ve
been in prayer meetings which had a very serious tone - and suddenly
the spirit of laughter has descended. When we were coming into
revival years ago I remember someone saying they had read an account
of revival in a book- and in this revival at the time, there was a
lot of weeping. Our church thought, "Well maybe we should weep
because maybe God likes weeping, maybe it’s a way of being holy."
We
had a "repentance" meeting and were all serious. We asked
God to convict us and bring a spirit of weeping upon us. We waited
for a while - nothing happened. After about 15 minutes someone began
to giggle. We tried to stifle our mouths because we were there to
weep. After another few minutes someone else started to giggle. We
could contain it no more - we hit the floor and laughed uproariously
for about 3 hours. We had been under condemnation for years because
of religious spirits. We didn’t need to be weeping right then - we
were getting delivered and getting to know "Abba" ( daddy).
So
what happens with this laughter? What is it all about? It’s a
wonderful experience but really what is happening? What is spiritual
about it and what does it have to do with God?
The
Bible says that "God looks on His enemies and laughs and has
them in derision." So if God laughs then He must be laughing
because of victory. ( Ps 2:4)
Sometimes
I have been praying for someone and they are telling me really bad
stuff. I start to pray and start laughing- why is that? That’s
weird isn’t it? But you see I may not understand in my mind but my
spirit begins to pick up on a victory that’s happening in the
spirit realm for that person. When you pray then God answers and
sometimes your spirit has received the answer before your mind.
I
believe that the laughter (God’s laughter) brings down that victory
into our experience.
Laughter
eliminates fear - God is in charge - He told Job:
"At
destruction and famine you shall laugh: neither shall you be afraid
of the beasts of the earth." (Job 5:22)
He
will still fill your mouth with laughter, your lips with shouting
(Job 8:21) It’s OK to shout sometimes. People shout and scream at a
little football, why don’t God’s people do some more shouting
(and laughing)?
God
laughs at the wicked - because God always has the final word.
"The
Lord shall laugh at him: for he sees that his day is coming. ( Ps
37:13)
God
causes us to laugh at those who would cause destruction.
"The
righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him..."
(Ps 52:6)
There
is a time to ask and a time to receive - and a time to laugh in the
victories of God.
"A
time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to
dance." (Eccl 3:4)
When
the anointing of laughter comes - the oil flows and the enemy runs
for cover. The devil knows and is afraid of the laughter because he
knows he is defeated.
Do
you realize the enemy hates you to get in the anointing - the Holy
Spirit makes you God conscious not self conscious or sin conscious.
When you are in the Spirit realm you see what He sees. Guess what?
God sees the victories. God sees the end when you are just at the
beginning.
When
the enemy seems like a great big bear (fear) - God already sees him
knocked out.
That’s
why you laugh and you don’t understand why? There seems some big
mountains and it looks like you can‘t get over them- but you
suddenly start laughing at them.
God
is the God of the mountains - we often feel threatened by them but
God walks on them.
Laughter
is in the empty tomb. In fact when I was in the Garden tomb one time
I was trying to be very reverent. Then an angel tapped me on the
shoulder and spoke to me "He certainly isn’t here." I
started laughing and laughing because the angel didn’t seem to make
an idol of an empty grave. [2]
Source:
[1] Religiondispatches.org
[2] http://www.sidroth.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8403&news_iv_ctrl=0&abbr=art_
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