THE LAUGHING SPIRIT EXPLAINED – M52

In these last days there has come into the church of our Lord Jesus Christ, (along with many
other false doctrines) an erroneous teaching which brings forth in its wake manifestations of
uncontrollable laughter and other strange behaviour patterns such as rolling, crawling, and
being nailed to the floor, often accompanied by loud sounds, shrieks, animal noises and worse.
This spirit of laughter, happiness or incorrectly names ‘the joy of the Lord’ us attributed to the
work of the Holy Spirit.
In this book I will endeavour with God’s help to give you some facts and information from
a biblical and medical basis, which will give you the opportunity to decide for yourself whether
or not that which is happening in many churches of various denominations today is truly of God
or is that which was spoken of, as being part of the deception in the end times. All I ask is that
you read this book prayerfully without prejudice and ask our Heavenly Father to reveal His truth
to you in the Name of Truth who is our Lord Jesus Christ, (John 14:6) by the Holy Spirit who is the
Spirit of Truth. (John 16:13)
The wicked strategy behind the form, which this deception takes, is cleverly and subtly
calculated. Firstly it comes at a time when people in the church are seeking revival or
refreshing. Something new, exciting, some new experience and these believers are vulnerable,
unguarded and available for a seducing spirit to take advantage of the situation.
There is however only one message that remains forever new and it is the eternal
message of the victory won over the devil by our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. The
continual realisation of the truth and depth of Jesus’ finished work on the cross is sufficient to
bring lasting joy and happiness to a sincere believer. There is no more exciting, more refreshing,
more exhilarating experience of revival than this truth and it is continually fresh and new as it’s
implications and benefits are applied to our individual lives each day in every situation, with
spiritual awareness, gratitude and thanksgiving. It is almost as if those who are seeking “more”
than what God has already provided, are prone to embracing false doctrines brought about
by seducing spirits. The cross of Calvary, and there after, being conformed into the likeness of
Jesus, is where the spiritual action and revival has always been and even more so now in these
days. We must take care not to sow to the flesh or soulish man, but to the spirit. (Gal. 6:8)
The second reason why christians are being so easily enticed by this spirit is because the
world events around us are so heavy and gloomy that the natural desire is to escape to a more
cheerful place, wherever such a place can be found. This is not only true of the physical, but of
the spiritual as well and that is where the danger lies.
These are the very days in which we should be sober to watch and pray and work whilst
it is still day. (1Thess. 5:6) Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
(John 9:4) I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day: the night cometh when no
man can work.
The enemy is delighted when the church ‘parties’ and sleeps in these days. Most biblical
scholars agree that according to the scriptures, we are living in the end times. The Word of
God is very clear as to what will take place in the end times and one warning tells us that there
will be a falling away from the truth (true bible doctrine) and that because of this, deception
will prevail. Even the ‘very elect will be deceived if possible’, we are cautioned .
For there shall arise false christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and
wonders; in so much that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect, Jesus warns in
Matt. 24:24 whilst expounding on the end times.
He said in Matt. 24:5: For many shall come in My Name, saying, I am Christ; and shall
deceive many. The deception is that many shall come in the Name of Jesus and say that Jesus
IS the Christ, and yet many people shall be deceived by these same ministers.
We can however experience God’s peace and joy in these times. He has made
provision for His children to know His peace and His joy in their hearts and lives, especially now.
Peace and joy come from the Father who is the giver of all good gifts and because of
Jesus these two fruit of the Holy Spirit are available to us at all times and in all circumstances:
The fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22­23) are a product of our on going Christ – like walk. They develop
in our lives as our Heavenly Father makes us more like Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit as we
choose to be conformed into His likeness. (Gal. 5:22­23) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. No one can steal them from you, they
are not transient like happiness or laughter which depend on circumstances and feelings.
In the Word of God, joy is an attribute of Deity (Ps 104:31), and is an important part of
that nine fold ‘fruit of the spirit’ (Gal. 5:22­23). Joy is often equated with happiness, but the two
are quite distinct. Happiness depends largely upon happenings: good health, congenial
company, pleasant surroundings, etc. Happiness and unhappiness do not exist together; but joy
and sorrow can do.
Our Lord was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Is. 53:3) but “for the joy that
was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand
of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:2)
Paul and Silas, scourged and imprisoned, and with their feet in the stocks could hardly be
described as “happy”, but at midnight they sang praises to God (Acts 16:23­33) with such joy
that God caused an earthquake, and not only delivered them, but brought joy and salvation
to the jailer’s household.
Laughter is not necessarily a product of joy or happiness. When I receive a gift which
brings me happiness or gives me joy, I do not laugh because of it. When Meg and I were
married and great joy filled my heart, I did not laugh out loud. When each of our four children
were born, I was so happy, on each occasion, but did not laugh uncontrollably; and the
greatest moment of my life was when I gave my life to Jesus, yet I was not convulsed with
laughter.
Now let it be known that God does not have anything against laughing. It would be
abnormal for anyone not to react by laughing when something amusing or funny takes place.
It is however not pleasing to God when hilarious or hysterical laughter comes forth in church
meetings at inappropriate times when reverence and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit are required.
The Hebrew word which means to ‘laugh’ is actually translated into English as ‘to deride,
to ridicule or to scoff at.’ It has a mocking connotation. I noticed on looking at the scriptures
which contained the word laugh, laughing or laughter, that in the majority of these verses
laughter was used when mocking, ridicule or derision was intended. I list some of these
scriptures for you to see.
Gen. 17:17: Then Abraham fell upon the face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a
child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? And shall Sarah, that is ninety years old,
bear?
Gen. 18:12: Therefore Sarah laughed with in herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I
have pleasure, my lord being old also?
Ps. 2:4: He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Ps. 59:8: But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.
Prov. 1:26: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh.
Matt. 9:24: He said unto them, Give place: for the mald is not dead, but sleepeth. And
they laughed at him to scorn.
Luke 6:25­26: Woe to you that are full for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now!
For ye shall mourn and weep. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! For so did
their fathers to the false prophets.
James 4:8­10: Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye
sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your
laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves 'n the sight of
the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
In the last two texts God actually rebukes those who laugh and warns them to rather cry
and grieve: I can identify with this because Christians today who feel the heart beat of their
Heavenly Father who sees the word’s condition today, people perishing, the violence, rape,
child molestation, famine, drought, unemployment, poverty, sexual perversion, lawlessness,
aids, corruption, political atrocities etc. should surely be grieving weeping, fasting, praying,
repenting and interceding rather than rolling around the church in convulsive laughter. How
God must grieve.
I have heard of cases where wounded men and women of God experienced
overwhelming happiness at their conversion or with the baptism of the Holy Spirit and it
produced laughter, but that laughter was not uncontrollable and the situation was reverent. I
acknowledge that these individual cases were really of the Lord and produced ‘good fruit’ in
their lives. The phenomena that I am discussing here however, refers to the hypnotic induced
convulsive, out of one’s control, irreverent laughter and behaviour which overtakes masses
simultaneously, after having been taught and instructed on how to begin to laugh and in some
cases commanded to laugh in the Name of Jesus. This spirit is far from being a God produced
reaction for His glory. (I will discuss these symptoms from a medical basis later in this book).
What we need at this time in God’s time table is a lasting deep and unshakeable joy
which is not dependant on our feelings, mood swings or laughing phenomena meetings, but on
the Rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ the son of the Living God.
Does the Word of God endorse this manifestation? It is a strange thing that nowhere in
the Bible do we see God’s people exhorted to this kind of behaviour. Some of the scripture
used by these teachers who propagate the laughing spirit or ‘being drunk in the spirit’ has been
totally manipulated to substantiate their teachings. The basis for their doctrine is Acts 2. They
teach that on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down upon the 120 disciples,
that these disciples, that these disciples were so drunk in the Spirit, they overflowed with joy,
were laughing uncontrollably, acting like drunkards and did not have any self control in the
situation. They succeed in portraying a picture to the congregation of complete chaos in which
drunk and disorderly disciples are staggering about in an abandoned state. This is totally
contrary to what the Bible states in Acts 2. The Word of God states that when these disciples
were baptised in the Holy Spirit they started speaking in other tongues, praising and glorifying
God. Some devout men of God from Phygia; Pamphylia, Egypt, Lybia, Crete and Arabia,
hearing these people speak were amazed at the miracle that had taken place, for they said
that these disciples are from Galilee and are speaking fluently in the languages and dialects of
the countries from which the devout men came. This was the fulfilment of the prophecy of
Jesus in Mark 16:17: The who believe shall speak new tongues. (languages).
These were a number of mockers present who said that these Spirit filled disciples were
drunk: not because they were falling around and laughing, but because they were speaking in
languages that the mockers did not understand. Please note that it was the MOCKERS who
LAUGHED and attributed the work and gift of the Holy Spirit to drunkenness. That is exactly what
a mocking spirit does.
Peter who had denied Jesus three times prior to this event, being one of these disciples in
the upper room, revealed a very sober and self controlled attitude when he addressed these
mockers. The Word says in Acts 2:14: But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice
and said to them…it is quite clear from this statement that Peter was completely sober, in order
to be “standing” and so were the other eleven Apostles. It is just as obvious that Peter and the
eleven were not nailed to the floor or laughing as insinuated by some preachers. He assured
them that these disciples were NOT drunk as the mockers has stated but that it was Joel’s
prophecy being fulfilled. Acts 2:15­17: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but
the third hour of the day. But is that whuch was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come
to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; and your sons and
daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall dream dreams.
Peter was obviously quite sober and rational to be able to convince three thousand
people of their need for salvation. It is important to realise that the disciples were waiting in
Jerusalem in the upper room in obedience to the instructions of Jesus (Acts 1:4) in order to
receive the Holy Spirit and power promised to them by Jesus and given as a precious gift from
his Father once Jesus had ascended to heaven. This sacred moment had been prophesied by
Jesus before He ascended into heaven and by Joel 800 years previously, and was one of the
most awesome, holy and glorious events in God’s calendar (Joel 2:28­29).
The Holy Spirit Himself had been given as Comforter, Guide and Teacher to give the
Church an understanding of the Father and His son Jesus. What an awesome moment in time.
Just as when God gave the Law on tablets of stone to Moses on Mount Sinai, there was thunder
and lightening to emphasise the importance and magnitude of the moment, thus when God
gave the Holy Spirit so that His Law might now be written on our hearts [which replace stone
tablets], the experience was accompanied by tongues of fire. Friends, this was a time for the
fear of the Lord and those disciples, (most of whom were Hebrews, who as a people,
understand what it means to be God­fearing), were certainly not, acting like a lot of silly,
abandoned, irreverent party­goers as the false teachers would have us believe. It is the devil
himself who would try to make a mockery of one of the holiest of all events in God’s Word, viz.
The giving of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church of Jesus Christ. Joel 2:28 says: And it
shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, you old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.
Joel prophesies what the manifestations will be when the glorious event takes place, which
Peter confirms in Acts 2 IS in fact this awaited occasion. These manifestations according to the
Word are: Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams and your
young men shall see visions. He says nothing about uncontrollable laughter or drunkenness.
Prophecy is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and from that day of Pentecost the gifts of the Holy
Spirit started to manifest through the believers. Prophecy, tongues, interpretation, healings,
miracles, faith, a word of knowledge, a word of wisdom, and the gift of discerning of spirits.
These gifts were demonstrated by the Apostles and early disciples and never in a drunken or
disorderly state. Jesus said they would receive power from on high when the Holy Spirit came
upon them, and we see that when this power came upon them, Peter proclaimed the Gospel
with great boldness as a result. Another result of the power coming upon them was
demonstrated in the healing of the lame man at the Gate Beautiful in Jesus’ Name.
These are the results that manifested because of the power of the Holy Spirit. This was
what took place in the church of Acts after the Holy Spirit and power had come upon the
believers: People were healed, delivered, and converted in a way which brought much glory
to the Father in Jesus’ Name. Today we see in contrast to this , works which the ‘prophets’ are
ascribing to the Holy Spirit, but paint a totally different and unbiblical picture: These under this
“power” are lying on the floor as if in a coma and others are unable to walk and are having to
be carried out of the church and driven home.
1Cor. 14:33: For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of
the saints and 1Cor. 14:40 states: Let all things be done decently and in order.
Paul filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke in tongues by his own admission (1Cor 14:18) but it is
not recorded that he ever gave place to levity or the likes. In fact Paul was a most sober man,
truly burdened for the saints and always agonising for the new churches he established. Jesus is
our example and He was a man of sorrows and aquainted with grief. A man with a mission,
with a purpose – to do His Father’s business, urgent business concerning the salvation of
precious souls. Nothing has changed, our Father’s business is no less urgent now, these is not
time for frivolous behaviour, people who are not saved, face eternal damnation and the great
commission is for us to go into the world with the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It takes a sober, vigilant watchman to take forth the message of salvation. A person in a
state of drunkenness hardly cares what happens to anyone else and is incapable of carrying
out the commands of Jesus.
Eph. 5:18: And be NOT DRUNK with wine wherein is excess, but be FILLED with the Holy
Spirit. This scripture is not saying that we must be DRUNK in the Holy Spirit. It is saying do NOT be
drunk. God does not want us to be drunk or in a drunken state it is almost blasphemous to
suppose He would then give us His Holy Spirit to put us into an intoxicated state abhorrent to
Him. A drunkard displays some of the lowest, animal­like tendencies known to man. He can be
uncouth, loud, raucous, of loose morals, indecent and uncontrolled. All inhibitions are thrown
overboard and as if a demon power has taken over, the drunkard is not responsible for his
actions. In many cases on being told of their actions once they sober up, they show great
embarrassment and remorse and cannot believe that they could have been so irresponsible.
Look at the court records and daily newspapers to see the results of drunkenness. The word
drunkenness is always associated with evil behaviour. It is the single cause of most deaths on
our roads, murders and destruction of personal and family life. The scriptures show that
drunkenness was one of the major vices of antiquity, even among the Hebrews. Among the
better known cases of intoxication are the following: Noah (Gen. 9:21) Lot (Gen. 9:33, 35) Nabal
(1Sam. 25:36) Uriah (11 Sam:13) Amnon (11 Sam: 13:28) Elah king of Israel (1 Kings 16:9).
The prophets frequently renounced drunkenness as a great social evil of the wealthy.
Even the woman were guilty (Amos 4:1). The and effects of strong drink are vividly pictured in
the Bible (Job. 12:25; Ps. 107:27; Is 28:7; Hosea 4:11; etc.) Writers of scriptures condemn
intemperance in the strongest terms. The last fruit of the Holy Spirit listed in Gal. 5:23 is
temperance, which means the opposite of drunkenness and is also translated as self­control. If
one of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is temperance [self control], why would drunkenness be
considered to be a sign of revival and of the Holy Spirit. Drunkenness and temperance and
directly opposite in meaning. Surely this is a red light.
 I conclude from these Scriptures that God who is Holy would not be a part of any
“experience” that would cause His precious children ever to behave in any form of DRUNKEN
state.
Nowhere in the Bible do the words or phrases “drunk in the spirit” or “laugh in the spirit”
appear. The deceivers have coined these phrases. When the Word exhorts us to be FILLED with
the Holy Spirit, [Eph. 5:18], it also tells us exactly what the results of that infilling are viz. Love, joy,
peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and SELF CONTROL [temperance]
[Gal. 22:23] and the gifts of the Holy Spirit will manifest in our lives (1 Cor. 14). The phrase, “to be
drunk in the spirit” has become fashionable in many of the contemporary Pentecost and
Charismatic churches and Christians are seeking this experience. The words drunk or
drunkenness, have a bad connotation. Why would the Lord use the word DRUNK in conjunction
with His Holy Spirit?
We received a letter from a reader, which contained the following extract: I laughed so
much that I could not control myself. It felt as if something from within me was bubbling forth
out of me. I kept repeating John 7:38 and kept drinking of the streams of living water. After the
service, I was unable to get up. They had to carry me out of the church, as I was unable to
walk. That was the first time I was drunk in the Holy Spirit. This drunkenness in the Holy Spirit that
goes hand in hand with laughter and power is a sign of the end times. The power of God was
upon me in so great a measure that I was drunk in the spirit three times. End quote.
Note the many errors in this letter, but this is how the people are deceived by these
preachers. They convince the congregation that this uncontrollable laughing is streams of living
water according to Joh. 7:38. They preach that the believers will become drunk in the Holy
Spirit.
We recently received another letter dated 28 December 1994 which reads:
Quote:

After I received your newsletter about the “laughing spirit” I would like to let you know
what is happening here in Australia…I would also like to plead with you for some copies of
Doc’s book on the subject. Last week, a group of Messianic Jews and myself, went to the
Baptist Church where things are starting to happen… There, they were showing a video from
Toronto…It freaked us out…It wasn’t just laughing it was revolting…On stage was a group of
people twitching and shaking and convulsing out of control…under the so called power of
God…while the Assembly was laughing and cackling all over the place…But that is not all after
the pastor delivered an empty message, his wife came on stage to prophesy…She started
breathing as if she was being taken over by another spirit, then suddenly her head started
twisting wildly from right to left and her voce changed totally…her hands were shooting in the
air, and with a shrieking voice she announced: “I am the Lord and I warn you that division is
coming…etc. etc…And I HATE division says God!” When she pronounced the word HATE, her all
countenance changed…it was horrible! It all looked like a real circus of witchcraft to me. I
can’t imagine if this is a real move of God, why on earth we have to go to Toronto to get it.
It started in four churches in Sydney because members of their congregation went to
Toronto to bring it back over here…Also, there has been some very frightening prophesy. “This is
my move, says the Lord, those who will oppose it, I will break, I will expose, I will strip naked and
will even kill!” I do not believe that this is from the Lord! God Himself has given man freedom of
choice. Now it is “You go along with this or else…”
So as you can see, I am very concerned with what is happening and would very much
like your opinion on all this…plus a few copies of Doc’s book to pass around…
I wish to take this opportunity to wish all of you a most Holy year…it looks like we are in
the midst of the tribulation or very close to it anyway!
Lots of love, pray for us here as we pray for you there…
Unquote.
Many sincere believers are seeking for emotional stimulation, they have the impression
that God exists to serve and bless them. Their concept of Christian joy and happiness is the
same as that of the world which is superficial and of short duration. They usually reason saying,
“How is it possible that this is not of God because I feel so good and full of peace during this
laughing experience.” Remember firstly that the bible warns believers that satan comes as an
angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14) and he will counterfeit anything, even a false peace and joy just to
entice you into his web of deception and later claim your soul. Let us liken this to drugs, another
instrument in the hands of satan. People who start experimenting with drugs, initially experience
peace, joy and euphoria, but this is only temporary and of short duration because they need to
go back for more and more to receive the satisfaction. Satan eventually destroys their lives.
Our spiritual walk should in no way be similar to this. That is, we should not just enjoy church for
the nice feelings, experiences and goose bumps. This is dangerous and leads to the
development of soulish satisfaction. The emotions of man are pandered to at the expense of
the spirit of man.
When this phenomenon first appeared in Durban (1991), we put out a warning by means
of our monthly newsletter. It fell on some deaf ears and subsequently we have had many
confused and disillusioned Christians in a back­slidden state seeking answers.
There are those who claim to have experienced physical healing during this ‘new revival’
experience. Keep in mind that ‘healing’ take place under spiritualists, witch doctors and
eastern healers too, but these healings come from occultic sources and satan, who is the father
of the occult and will claim his victim. If a new doctrine or new revelation is being propagated,
it is imperative that it be examined in the light of whether or not it is Bible based. In other words
if there is no Scripture to confirm the doctrine or revelation, it is not of God. The Bible is our only
authority and it is written: Forever, O Lord, Thy Word is settled in heaven [Ps 119:89]
It is clear that nothing must be added to or taken away from the Word of God [Rev.
22:185­19] as it contains in totality that which God requires of man, so that he can have a
perfect relationship with God. In other words the Word is the blueprint for our relationship with
God and we cannot change that blue print, because the end results will not be the same.
God gave Moses precise instructions on how to obtain water from the Rock in the wilderness.
He was to speak to it. Moses chose however to use his own way to get results and he struck the
rock instead of being obedient to God’s explicit directions. The end result was that although
water was forth coming, Moses himself never entered the Promised Land. The lesson for us is
that if we do God’s business in our way, we will not enter into the fullness of God’s provision.
The Scripture backing it must be in context and be confirmed by two or three witnesses
and not manipulated to prove man’s theory. The Word of God states that: out of the mouth of
two or three witnesses, the truth shall be established. In this book I endeavour to explain to the
reader that there is no scriptural backing for this phenomenon at all. The scriptures quoted by
it’s advocates to prove its authenticity do not apply at all.
Jesus, when asked about the sign of the end time answered in Matt. 24:4: Take heed that
no man deceive you.
The second example of Scripture used that teaches of the “laughing­spirit­experience” is
that of Isaac in Gen.17: 19. God had promised Abraham and Sarah a son in their old age and
he was to be named Isaac, which means laughter. This truth is taken and expounded upon
until a doctrine has sprung forth from it and people feel free to receive and unclean seducing
spirit simple because Isaac, the son of promise was named laughter. It is referred to as the
“spirit of Isaac” – the son of promise and we are told that when you receive the spirit of Isaac
you will laugh. The truth is that when Sarah heard this promise and laughed, she received a
rebuke. (Gen. 18:12­13). Abraham also laughed when God made that promise to him. (Gen
17:17). Abraham and Sarah both laughing at the seemingly impossible promise of God to give
them a son when they were both beyond child bearing age, was a reaction of unbelief at that
moment. Yet Abraham was a great man of faith. Let us remember when we hear the name of
Isaac NOT to laugh or scoff at any of God’s promises nor, to think that anything is impossible for
God. The meaning of Isaac’s name may well have been especially given by God to warn and
remind us NOT to laugh when God promises to do what man thinks is impossible.
It is strange that this part of the scripture is used to substantiate riotous behaviour. God is
the God of Abraham (meaning the father of many nations) and of Isaac (meaning laughter)
and of Jacob (meaning the supplanter). Why then emphasise the name of Isaac as the most
important. This is a typical example of how God’s Word is abused to prove a false doctrine and
lead believers astray. If there is consistency in this teaching then we should receive the ‘Spirit of
Abraham’ to experience being fathers of many nations and likewise the ‘spirit of Jacob’ to
‘experience’ becoming supplanters. Let us rather be transformed by God’s Holy Spirit into the
likeness of Jesus. This is God’s will for every believer. Seek no spirit! Seek the Heavenly Father
and His Son Jesus and they will bless us by means of the Holy Spirit.
The revival or ‘Toronto Blessing’, as this phenomenon is often called, first started in Buenos
Aires, Argentina. There a certain pastor Claudio Friedzon travelled to the U.S.A. after having
read a book by Benny Hinn and met him at his services. Friedzon returned to Buenos Aires and
as a ‘changed pastor’ came forth with these strange manifestations. Benny Hinn is known for
his false teachings on the Holy Spirit (read Deception in the Name of the Holy Spirit available
from the Christian Centre). It seems unlikely therefore that Friedzon would be able to teach
pure doctrine after having received the impartation and transference of spirits from Benny Hinn.
In Toronto, Christians from all denominations gathered in a small charismatic church,
Airport Vineyard Fellowship, where this so­called revival broke out. There apparently God was
“seen, experienced and felt.” At any one of the services people were found lying on the floor
or rolling about, while some were laughing uncontrollably. Rodney Howard Browne who was
the first person to bring this misleading teaching and spirit to South Africa also conducted
services there.
This phenomenon appears all over the United Kingdom, and is called Revival. Hysterical
sporadic outbursts of laughter is one of the manifestations, while rolling on the floor and being in
a trace­like state are two others which occur during services. In South Africa it spread like wild
fire among the churches. First to embrace it were the IFCC and CFI charismatic congregations
and then it spread to the AFM and some of the other Pentecostal assemblies, as much cross­
pollination (visiting preachers) takes place amongst these churches. One AGS church is named
the ‘Rhema Lighuis’ which indicates the extent to which this cross­pollination has occurred.
If we look back over the years we find that every time unbiblical teachings were allowed
into the church, sects came into being. In this way the error preached by Mary Baker resulted
in Christian Science, Russell’s fallacies resulted in the Jehovah Witnesses, Armstrong’s teachings
brought forth the World­wide Church of God. What I am saying is that a wrong spirit brings forth
a wrong doctrine, which leads to a new and different gospel with a different Jesus affecting
ultimately true salvation. We are not playing games, people’s eternal destinies are at stake.
Another gospel does not produce the true fruit of the Holy Spirit. Should you be interested in
finding out about other false teachings that have found their way into the Pentecostal and
Charismatic churches today so as to be on your guard, please write to us for the following
books: DECEPTION IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, JESUS WAS NOT IN HELL, CHARISMATIC
WITCHCRAFT, FROM THE GARDEN TO THE CROSS, ERROR AFTER REVIVAL.
Charisma Magazine Aug. 1994 page 24 quotes Rodney Howard­Browne, graduate of
Rhema, propagator of the laughing spirit teaching and saying: I want to call to mind in my own
words the following incident. One night I was preaching on hell and laughter just hit the whole
church. The more I told people what hell was like the ore they laughed. Unquote.
I ask all sincere children of God who are concerned with getting people saved from
eternal damnation, hell and the lake of fire to ask themselves in all honesty, if this can possibly
be of God? Can anyone with the fear of the Lord and any remote understanding of an
eternity spent in hell, laugh at its description? This is from the pit of hell itself. I cannot believe
that pastor Howard­Browne recalls this incident with such obvious delight and pride.
The buzz words used to get prospective converts to receive this unclean spirit are: “relax
and enjoy yourself”, “you do not have to think about it, just receive and enjoy it”, “just let
yourself go”, “let go and then this spirit can fill you and take over.” In other words you must do
away with all control you have over your inhibitions, yourself, body, soul and spirit, making your
mind void in order to receive.
If man will not use his intelligence and self control neither will God, but evil spirits will and
do so. They require a blank brain and a passive will. Hindus who meditate and make their
minds blank in order to do so end up in trance­like states filled with demonic influences.
To “let yourself go,” to ignore your mind, intellect and self­control entirely (which is
passivity), is the surest way to open the door for demonic activity. The two scriptures that come
to mind are 2 Tim. 1:7 and 1 Pet. 1:13, and they both speak of self­control. 2 Tim. 1:7: For Go hath
not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and love, and of a sound mind. 1 Pet. 1:13: Wherefore
gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for grace that is to be brought
unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
It is a completely different thing to enter God’s rest which we are exhorted to do in
Hebrews chapter 4. That means that in spite of what’s going on in your life, in spite of
circumstances and seemingly impossible situations, we can enter into a place of trusting the
Lord for Him to work things out in His way – entering a place of rest that puts an end to our own
striving. This does not make us passive, on the contrary it should put us into a position of
activating our faith in God sufficiently to be able to rest and trust Him completely. It is not a
position of being an ostrich with its head in the sand, but rather a position of daily exercising
greater and greater faith in God and His Word. To be ‘in control of yourself’, to ‘sharpen your
mind’ and to ‘be sober’ (as Timothy and Peter exhort), is definitely the opposite of the ‘letting
yourself go and opening your self up’ instruction.
When hypnosis is practised on people they will always be encouraged to ‘let go and
relax’ which produces a form of passivity. As a medical doctor before I was saved, I practised
hypnosis as a form of therapy for psychiatric patients. I did not realise then that hypnosis was
occultic, and have since repented of having used this method of treatment and have
renounced it completely and now speak our openly against it. (See our book Know your
Enemy). The person, practising hypnosis endeavours to take control of his subjects’ mind and
actions. This usually commences with auto suggestion and easy subjects respond readily to
commands and instructions.
When a person prepares a group for hypnosis, he will suggest for instance, that the
subjects clasp their hands tightly. He will encourage them to relax and let themselves go and
after a while he suggests that they are unable to unlock their hands. This is clearly auto
suggestion. All subjects who are unable to unclasp their hands are ideal candidates for
hypnosis.
I have seen a video tape in which Rodney Howard­Browne uses a similar technique
(possibly unwittingly). He suggests to his audience that they will feel the warm oil of the Holy
Spirit come over them first to relax and let themselves go. He then tells those who felt the warm
feeling to come forward, (ideal candidates for hypnosis). These subjects are filled with
anticipation and desire to receive this ‘blessing’. He then orders them to be filled with what he
calls the Holy Spirit and now they are fully under his control. When a subject has been
hypnotised, that person remains under the influence of the hypnotist, and the slightest stimulus
will put the subject who was hypnotised back into the same condition. On this same video,
Rodney Howard­Browne establishes that a young girl had been at his meeting of the previous
evening. As she confirms this, he clicks his fingers and she immediately starts to laugh. Most of
the subjects begin to laugh and others fall down on the floor and roll about some making
animal noises and barking like dogs. There are those who are so drunk that they are unable to
stand or walk, and others are in trance­like states for hours. I fell that at this stage the gift of self­
control ceases to exist, as there is bedlam and total chaos. People have chosen to submit their
will to another’s control.
Whilst training as a medical doctor, I received practical education at an asylum for
mentally unstable people [Weskoppies, Pretoria]. This particular institution housed advanced
cases of mental disorders. Among these cases were patients suffering from a condition known
as Hebephrenic Schizophrenia. This condition is characteristic of unrestrained laughing and
inane actions that are very much like the ones we are seeing in the church today. Just as in
that asylum where that demonic power manifests itself in a patient the laughter is infectious
and everyone near the individual begins to laugh, this appears to be happening in many
churches. Since God­fearing­believers go to church and are being exposed to a similar
demonic power. If this suggestion sounds far fetched and you the reader is serious about the
matter, I advise you to visit any similar institution and ask the staff to show you a patient suffering
with this condition. At one stage in my medical practice in Stanger I was treating approx. 600
mental patients as outpatients. I, as district Surgeon at that time had much experience with
such cases. Hebephrenic Schizophrenia is nothing more than a demon power.
I do not want to give the impression that man can put the working of God’s Holy Spirit
into some sort of pattern and that He cannot move in any way he chooses, but when the
element of LACK OF CONTROL is a major part of it, then it cannot be of the Holy Spirit. For God
is a God of order. We can rejoice and be abundantly glad in the Presence of the Lord
wherever and when ever we meet with Him, but the kind of manifestations that accompany
the laughing spirit, border on repulsive hysteria.
Here is a quote from one of the many letters we have received from Christians who are
really confused by this ‘revival’ in their congregations.
Quote: “Does it mean in Eph. 5:18 that man will be DRUNK when he is filled with the SPIRIT? Two
women of the local congregation started to laugh and others were called to the front for new
wine. It was requested that nobody should be an old wine skin as those are useless and would
tear. The preacher added ‘do not exalt yourself – you there – you know who I am speaking to,
sitting full of hell inside you. God detests your head knowledge. You must collide as a huge
truck does with a bakkie. In the same way you must collide with the Holy Spirit and you will
never be the same again!’ the two women already lying on the floor kicked their legs in the air,
nudged each other and said, ‘you’re sozzled!’…” Unquote.
Can this be the Holy Spirit by any stretch of imagination? I hardly think so! I feel sure it is
demonic influence and not the Holy Spirit and my heart goes out to the thousands of deceived
people. What explanation will these false teachers give to God for their behaviour?
One of our Natal newspapers in Durban published an article on the 5th of October 1994
with the heading ‘Pupils convulsed by mystery curse.’ I quote: “Since Sep. 9, dozens of pupils at
high school have collapsed into convulsions during which they babble wildly and scream.
Locals believe the curse is either the result of the schools location on top of an old graveyard or
because the school watchman has upset the spirit that watches over the school by teaching
traditional martial arts to pupils, it said. The crisis reached its peak during a school flag raising
ceremony when 41 students fell on the ground screaming hysterically. The school and students’
parents recently sacrificed 4 black goats in a bid to end the curse, but another 23 students
were struck down last week.” Unquote.
Can you see the similarity? It is possible that both sources are the same, namely the
occult and demonic powers. That is certainly my opinion.
Each revival that has taken place in the past has always been preceded by people truly
seeking God in repentance, crying out for mercy, as they have become aware of their need of
Him and their sinful state. They would call upon Him for forgiveness and for His grace, as they
humbly lay prostrate before a Holy God. Then God in His mercy and grace would grant a
refreshing. This so­called new revival has had none of this self­searching or humility preceding it.
In fact much self­elevation and humanistic teaching has been the order of the day, so that this
rolling about on the floor leaves a big question mark hanging over it. There is little emphasis
placed on the preaching of the Word, reading the bible or praying. The ‘experience’ becomes
all­important. Great emphasis is being placed on Christian joy and gladness and the following
scriptures are used to confirm this: Rom. 15:13: Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and
peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. John
15:11: These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy
might be filled. Zeph. 3:17: The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will
rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.
Please note that not one of these scriptures speaks of boisterous, hilarious laughter that
leads to falling about on the floor. That concept is being read into these scriptures by these
‘revival’ preachers, and thousands are misled.
The Bible often associates the word joy with suffering. True joy is born out of
perseverance. It is an inner peace that rests on the firm conviction that our Heavenly Father’s
love is 100% reliable. This joy is immovable, unshakeable and constant like the God we serve,
and is not often accompanied by an emotional display. It comes forth from a deep and
intimate knowledge of God and trust in Him in all circumstances. 2 Cor. 8:2: How that in a great
trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of
their liberty. 1 Thes. 1:6: And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the
Word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost. James 1:2­3: My brethren, count it all joy
when ye fall into diverse temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh
patience. As I reflect on these scriptures I can only come to one conclusion and that is that the
manifestations of the laughing spirit, according to the Bible are the works of the flesh and of the
enemy himself. Not every spirit operating in church meetings today is automatically the Holy
Spirit because the Name of Jesus is mentioned. Spiritualists use the Name of Jesus and quote
the Word of God. This does not make them right. We are exhorted to try the spirits because of
all the deception that will be prevalent in the end times. 1 John 4:1: Beloved, believe not every
spirit, but try [test] the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone
out into the world. NB. “Try” in this sense means “test” not partake of!
I recall a time when I prayed for a believer who needed deliverance of a Schizophrenic
demon. She had been tormented for a long time and after prayer God set her free instantly in
the Name of Jesus. She remained free until at one meeting, held in the Playhouse, Durban, the
preacher told all those who were sick to stand up in their seats and for all those around them
who proclaimed to be believers to lay their hands on the sick. He said it is written those who
believe shall lay hands on the sick. The lady in question said later that as the person behind her
laid hands on her she fell down and when she got up the old condition had returned. This time
however she reported that she was much worse than she had been previously. She had no
idea whatsoever who the person was who had laid his or her hands on her. She came back to
the Stanger Christian Centre for prayer and thankfully God delivered her once again. The point
I am making by relating this incident is that there exists in the spirit world what is known as
transference of spirits. You cannot let just anyone lay hands on you. A believer can be anyone
from a satanist to a hindu. They can still believe in healing, but they transfer an unclean spirit
with the laying on of their hands. The Word of God says in 2 Tim 1:6:
Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by
the putting on of my hands.
Paul laid hands on Timothy and imparted something to Timothy by this means. It was a
gift of God and Paul was used by God as the vessel or channel to impart this gift to Timothy.
satan uses the same method to impart unclean spirits and unclean “gifts” to vulnerable people
who are open to receive. satan counterfeits and perverts God’s methods.
Demons are constantly lurking around looking for a body through which to manifest.
Now I do not mean to put fear into anyone, but we do need to realise that we must guard
ourselves against receiving anything that is not of God through transference of spirits.
On 15 Jan. 1995 there was a TV programme featuring this “spirit of revival” taking place
in various churches. It is understandable, how many people would accept what they saw
taking place as a blessing, as it was portrayed in a very positive and pious light.
There were however things that concerned me. Firstly, a young woman who had been
praying for someone who fell down under the “power” was asked by the interviewer what she
had prayed. The woman replied that she just prays, addressing the Holy Spirit, and asks Him to
give the person what he or she needs. Jesus when teaching the disciples how to pray in Matt. 6
taught them to pray to the Father in the Name of Jesus – no where in the Bible is the Holy Spirit
ever addressed by a person. Our communication is with Father God [Yahweh] through his Son
Jesus [Yeshua], by the power of the Holy Spirit. Departure from this biblical truth has brought
untold deception into the Church [ref. To our book DECEPTION IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT]. In the same TV programme a pastor who was interviewed said in essence that it was
“wonderful” that new believers who had never ministered to others in anyway at all, were just
laying their hands on people and the recipients were receiving this “refreshing”.
Jesus said in Matt. 28: 19­20: Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising
them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with
you always, even unto the end of the world.
He said to make disciples. That takes time, patience, and knowledge in God’s Word.
Discipleship is not passed on in an instant, but spirits can be, and this is what we are seeing
taking place at these meetings, contrary to the Great commission. Any person who has
received a spirit can impart it instantly on another. Transferral of spirits can be instant. People
who are vessels for these spirits have demonic anointings. Rodney Howard­Browne preaches
‘the holy laugh anointing’ and Benny Hinn orders his audience to ‘breathe in the anointing
quickly’, during a service on Trinity broadcasting network May 1994. The practice of breathing
in the anointing is found in eastern religions. These unholy anointings are popular because of
the ‘nice feeling’ they bring. The devil is bent on getting to the minds of uninformed people to
lure them into the ‘new age’ or new world order, where the one world religion will be based on
Hinduism (eastern mysticism). The apostate church is not a church devoid of numbers of
church goers, the apostate church is a deceived mass of people in church who have loved not
the truth – the truth of God’s Word and have embraced unbiblical lies (refer to our cassettes
CHRISTIANITY IN CRISIS.)
The Bible tells us in Matt. 7: 13­14: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate and
broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there
be that find it.
Let us beware of finding security in thinking that because so many are “going this way”
that it is the right way.
2 Thess. 2:9 talking of the enemy of God, says: Even him, whose coming is after the
working of satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. The spirit of antichrist is quite able
to produce signs and wonders, especially as we are in the last days and satan’s time is running
out. He will try to deceive as many as he can: Jesus overcame him on the cross, but Jesus also
expects us to be able to discern satan’s wiles and to resist him with His Word and the shed Blood
of the Lamb.
There is enough evidence that spirits are influencing mankind at a record pace.
Unbiblical ‘good angels’ appear, so­called outer space beings contact individuals and groups,
reincarnation is accepted as reality and eastern religions are the ‘in thing’ in our times. All these
manifestations are directly opposed to God’s Word and are on the increase. Why? These
demonic forces must prepare this world intellectually, even spiritually to eventually accept the
antichrist, as has been prophesied in the bible. THE CHURCH IS NOT EXCLUDED FROM THIS
PROCESS OF DECEPTION. The powers of darkness have opened all the floodgates of deceit,
confusions and carnality and a tidal wave is striking man today. The church by and large has
NOT BEEN AWAKE and has not had many leaders who have closed the doors to this tidal wave.
This is not a revival or a time of refreshing as so many call it. Acts 3:19­20 says: Repent thee
therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when times of refreshing shall
come from the presence of the Lord. And He shall send Jesus Christ which before was
preached unto you.
God requires repentance and conversion before He sends times of refreshing. These
particular manifestations that are in the church now are not as a result of preaching on the
need of repentance and conversion which are a part of a God centred Gospel and will touch
the heart of man (spirit), but rather the result of teachings on the ‘self image improvement”,
‘success motivation’, ‘mind and visualisation powers’, humanism, Kingdom Now and
Replacement theology. These doctrines bring forth a man centred in Gospel and do not
produce humility but produce pride and arrogance as they feed fleshly desires and the soulish
part of man [mind, emotions and intellect]. Ref. To our book CHARISMATIC WITCHCRAFT.
1 Tim. 4:1­2: Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart
from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy;
having their conscience seared with a hot iron. 2 Cor. 11:4: For if he that cometh preaches
another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not
received or another gospel which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 2 Cor.
11:13­15: For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the
apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Therefore it is not great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness;
whose end shall be according to their works.
It has been frequently reported that if someone present at a meeting where the
laughing spirit phenomenon is being proclaimed , does not want to participate or chooses to
leave, that person is mocked or ridiculed and accused of being ‘bound’. The word sober has
no place in these meetings, yet that is exactly what Jesus urges us to be in the end times. 1 Pet.
5:8: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about
seeking whom he may devour. [Many under the Toronto “influence” do in fact roar as lions].
Peter is talking to believers. According to the dictionary the definition of the word sober is: not
to be drunk: not roused up, but sober, cool headed, sedate and to be clear of spirit and
behaviour. This must be how true children of God behave. They should never just let go of
themselves and behave foolishly, nor should they just open up to demonic powers. They are
always in control, but under the Holy Spirit.
Prov. 17:22: A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the
bones. This text is readily quoted and is being misused by those who advocate the laughing
phenomena. The Hebrew word SAMEACH stresses a jubilant or merry heart. It is clearly an
action of the HEART to be merry and content in contrast to a despondent spirit. It has nothing
at all to do with hilarious laughter.
May our God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ help us to sharply discern in these end
times, and to give us the grace to remain sober and vigilant until Jesus comes to fetch us. What
does the Bible say we are to do when we are merry? James 5:13: Is any merry? LET HIM SING
PSALMS. It is plain to see that a merry person should sing psalms, which glorifies God and not roll
around convulsed with laughter, which glorifies God’s enemy. Let us, as sincere believers, strive
to live sanctified lives, thus enabling the Holy Spirit of God to produce His real manifestations in
us for God’s glory and for the edification of the Body of Christ on earth, the True Church and
Bride of Jesus.
11 Joh. 9­11 has a real warning for us: Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the
doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the
Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not
into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of
his evil deeds. This doctrine of laughing in the spirit was not proclaimed by Jesus nor by any of
His Apostles and disciples in the Bible, therefore it cannot be a doctrine of Christ. This is serious.
Leaders of large Pentecostal and Charismatic churches in South Africa have been asked
for their opinions regarding this Toronto blessing and many state that this is a revival or a
refreshing from God, but without fail they all say in essence, that if it is not of God it will not last,
but will pass away [inferring, so why worry, why all the fuss?] This amazes me.
The truth is that if it is not of God then it can only be on the devil and that is very serious,
as the devil does not pass away. If these leaders have opened their church doors to something
that comes from satan, then they know as well as I do, that deliverance will be needed by
each and every member that has partaken of the unclean thing, by transference of spirits.
They cannot, simply dismiss this phenomenon as they please. It has already brought people
into deception and under bondage that will have far reaching complications if those affected
to not renounce their involvement. One cannot casually say of the Toronto blessing that if it is
not of God, we will soon see, time will tell. Spiritual deception in this crucial day and age is the
last thing any believer needs:
Propagators of the Toronto phenomenon often use scare tactics by “warning” their
congregation not to speak out against the manifestations for fear of blaspheming against the
Holy Spirit – where in fact the exact opposite is true. The Body of Christ is being encouraged to
believe that these fleshly manifestations are actually holy, from the Holy Spirit, and not from the
counterfeit spirit, which is neither holy, nor the spirit of holiness. The devil has managed to totally
pervert and reverse the truth concerning blaspheming against the Holy Spirit.
These same propagators, in order to gain credibility for this phenomenon are using the
names of great men of God, who they say condoned such behaviour. Men such as Smith
Wigglesworth, Wesley, Watchman Nee and others who in fact denounced the laughing spirit as
“devilish”.
However, no man’s opinion is of any importance, it is God’s Word that we must obey.
The wisdom of man is foolishness with God. [1 Cor. 3:19]
Many church leaders have remarked that they have seen some “good” manifestations
and some which are not of God – so they are in essence confused as to its source. Jesus said in
Matt. 12:25: … a house divided against itself shall not stand [speaking of satan].
The bottom line is that it is either of God or of the devil, it cannot be of both. Let me
assure you that white magic because it produces “good results” does not justify the means,
neither is the source of the “evil spirits” [spoken of in Eastern Religions] any different to the
source of the so called “good” spirits they believe in, even though they are meant to ward off
the “evil” ones. I am convinced that the good manifestations of this “spirit” are misleading and
sent by the enemy to confuse just as much as “white magic” or “good spirits” do! Good fruit
cannot come from an evil root and the root of this “blessing” is indeed evil.
If you have opened yourself up to this doctrine and received this spirit, and the Lord has
convicted you of its error, take it to Him in a prayer of confession. Renounce and break with it
completely and let the spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit Himself lead you into all truth. There is an
excellent tape by Malcolm Hedding pastor of the Olive Tree Assemblies of God, Durban which
is available from the Christian Centre at a cost of R7.00. It’s title is Be Sure of Your Biblical
Foundations. We strongly recommend the tape to every reader of this book. You may make as
many copies as you want for free distribution. The message unmasks this spirit in an
authoritative and biblical way. Many preachers are saying that this phenomenon is
preparation for the great harvest that is about to come in. I believe that it is the time in which
the Lord is sorting out the goats from the sheep in preparation for the Rapture. Jesus said, His
sheep hear His voice and the voice of a stranger they do not know [John 10:4­5]. Jesus is
coming to fetch His own very soon, those who know His voice.
I am praying that the truth which goes forth will pull down the strongholds of lies and
deception that are gripping so many church­goers today and that those who come out of this
false teaching and are separate and holy unto the Lord will go from glory to glory as we await
our soon coming King.
He which testifieth of these things saith, surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so come
Lord Jesus.
The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen [Rev. 22:20­21].