October 29, 1999 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - The "miracle revival" that is sweeping through charismatic churches has become stranger with each passing year. This "revival, known as the "Laughing Revival," the Toronto Blessing, and the Pensacola Outpouring, began in the mid-1990s. Its key personalities include Rodney Howard-Browne, Randy Clark, John Arnott, John Kilpatrick, Steve Hill, Colin Dye, Sandy Millar, Gerald Coates, David Pytches, Terry Virgo, Benny Hinn, David Yonggi Cho, Kenneth Copeland, and Morris Cerullo. It has been accepted widely within the Vineyard movement and the Assemblies of God. It is characterized by slaying in the spirit, shaking, convulsions, jerking, rolling on the floor, spiritual drunkenness, being spiritually glued to the floor, uncontrollable laughter, strange and unintelligible mutterings, roaring, barking, and many other weird and unscriptural manifestations. Its adherents claim that it is resulting in large numbers of conversions and in far-reaching spiritual renewal. They claim, in fact, that it is the first stage of a latter day worldwide miracle outpouring.

Recent issues of Charisma magazine have reported on two relatively new phenomena associated with this "revival" -- gold fillings miraculously appearing in people’s mouths and "glory gold dust" appearing on faces, hands, and clothing. Both of these "miracles" have been reported by the Toronto Airport Church pastored by John Arnott, as well as by many other churches associated with the "revival."

The November 1999 issue of Charisma contains more reports on this. One article, titled "Glory Dust from Heaven?" is about Silvania Machado, a Brazilian who is appearing in churches across America. Three years ago, she was allegedly dying of cancer. After she "tried everything, including witchcraft," a charismatic pastor’s wife urged her to "give God 30 days to heal her." It is alleged that she was healed after five days. There is no information in the article as to whether she rejected Roman Catholicism or witchcraft or whether she was born again through faith in the finished atonement of Jesus Christ. In 1996, after an American charismatic woman laid hands on Machado for "the baptism of the Holy Spirit," gold specks began appearing on her face during worship services. She "gets so much gold that it covers almost all of her face and rains from the top of her head." In May, Machado spoke at the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship, and Pastor John Arnott had some of the gold specks analyzed by the University of Toronto Geology Department. Charisma magazine also had tests done by the U.S. Geological Survey. The conclusion? The particles contain no gold or platinum, but are merely plastic glitter!

There is no end to the gullibility and confusion of the charismatic movement. This is the danger of seeking after signs and wonders.

"A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas" (Matthew 16:4).

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My book THE LAUGHING REVIVAL FROM AZUSA TO PENSACOLA: A HISTORY AND REFUTATION OF PENTECOSTALISM traces the history of the Pentecostal movement from its origin in 1900 to the current day "Laughing Revival."

The book analyzes the key figures in the movement, including John Alexander Dowie, Maria Beulah Woodworth-Etter, William Branham, Paul Cain, William Seymour, Frank Bartleman, David Wesley Myland, Charles Parham, Franklin Hall, Aimee Semple McPherson, Kathryn Kuhlman, A.A. Allen, Jack Coe, Charles Price, A.J. Tomlinson, Smith Wigglesworth, David DuPlessis, Kenneth Hagin, Oral Roberts, Morris Cerullo, John Wimber, Charles and Frances Hunter, Rodney Howard-Browne, John Arnott, Karl Strader, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, and Jamie Buckingham.

It contains a detailed refutation of Pentecostal-Charismatic doctrine and practice, including such phenomena as "tongues," "baptism in the Holy Spirit," "fire baptism," "personal Pentecost," "holy laughter," "holy drunkenness," and "Holy Spirit glue."

There are also chapters on "Charismatic Music Permeating the Churches," "Why Are People Deluded by These Strange Things?," "What about the Miracles?" and "Spiritual Victory: the Laughing Revival Way or the Bible Way."

A 10-page bibliography offers extensive suggestions for further study.

186 pages, perfect bound.

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