The False Teachings of Mike Bickle and IHOP
The following are the notes to the discussion found at this link (https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/336591753507206/?id=100014819433180) for anyone who would like to study the subject more in depth.
As with many of our topics, the subject is huge, and we could have several discussions about it. So, this discussion will not be comprehensive, but we hope to give good summaries about many areas of this ministry. And, as always, when we put the notes on, we will have the links so people can read and learn more for themselves.
Mike Bickle has stated he was born again in 1971. Then he was part of a Presbyterian church for five years, and he was radically anti-Charismatic for a number of years. But, anyone aware of his ministry knows that has completely changed. After serving as a pastor in several evangelical churches in St. Louis, Bickle moved to Kansas City to start the Kansas City Fellowship (now known as Metro Christian Fellowship) in November 1982. Eventually, Metro Christian Fellowship joined the Association of Vineyard Churches led by John Wimber in 1990 and remained a part of that association of churches until 1996. During his tenure as the pastor of Metro Christian Fellowship, Bickle pastored a group known to both detractors and supporters as the Kansas City Prophets. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Bickle_(minister) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolic-Prophetic_Movement)
A brief summary of the Kansas City prophets is as follows: Some of those who shaped the current Apostolic-Prophetic Movement in the United States were based in Kansas City, Missouri and became known as the "Kansas City Prophets." This phrase was coined by critics and never used by the "prophets" themselves, according to Mike Bickle. He has never called himself a prophet but called Paul Cain and Bob Jones prophets. Some have said the "Kansas City Prophets" were Bob Jones, Bill Hamon, Paul Cain, Mike Bickle, James Goll, John Paul Jackson, and Lou Engle. Bob Jones and John Paul Jackson have died. The rest of these men are still very active in the Apostolic-Prophetic movement. And, to be quite frank, these are not men whose ministries we should be following. Sadly, they are held up as great men of God in many circles even though Bob Jones admitted he had told ladies to undress in front of him in order for him to give them a word from the Lord (http://www.religionnewsblog.com/16929/minister-removed-after-confession-of-sexual-misconduct). Paul Cain was removed from a ministerial position due to homosexuality and alcoholism (https://www.charismamag.com/site-archives/154-peopleevents/people-and-events/1514-prophetic-minister-paul-cain-issues-public-apology-for-immoral-lifestyle-). James Goll can be seen on Sid Roth’s program describing angelic visitations (https://sidroth.org/television/tv-archives/james-goll-0/). Lou Engle kissed the feet of a Catholic leader at Azusa 2016 in an act of reconciliation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiR2VM6bxIg). Much more could be said, of course, but we must be very careful as we study individual ministries to research the beliefs of particular people and their associations.
The Kansas City prophets mainly operated during the 1980’s and early 90’s. It was during this time period, in August of 1984, that Mike Bickle claims to have visited heaven. This is his description of the trip: "The Lord took my spirit out of my body... I don't know how it operates but I know your body is where it’s at but you're not there and you're somewhere else. And it’s not a dream and it’s not a vision, you're literally somewhere else...I stood in this room and it had... clouds, it was a room only maybe 20 by 20 or 30. It was a little room. It had clouds in the bottom, on the top and the walls... (Bob Jones says "That's the courtroom")... I stood there, I was at the Lord's left hand, and I stood there, this was not a dream, this was as real as life here...I know it wasn't a dream or a vision...
He went on to say that in this courtroom a "whole line of" golden chariots appeared. There were men with those chariots and he believed those to be the 35 or so "super-apostles" that the Lord had previously told Bob Jones would be birthed out of this movement. A chariot appeared and "the Lord said 'get in it' and he knew intuitively, instantly, it was an Apostolic ministry." He said he didn’t think the Lord was specifically calling him an apostle, but that he had the opportunity in the grace of God to fill an apostolic calling if he was faithful to the full measure.’ (http://beyondgrace.blogspot.com/2011/09/mike-bickle-transported-to-heaven.html) (But, my question for these and others who have made these supposed “trips” to heaven is, on what grounds should I believe your account of these occurrences? I can believe the account by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:2 because it is recorded in the Bible which is God’s Word. Many people such as Bob Jones, Todd Bentley, and Kim Walker Smith of Jesus Culture, have given similar testimonies to Mike Bickle’s and if we check their teachings we will find absolutely unbiblical beliefs which discount the veracity of any such stories of trips to heaven. We must always go back to the truth of God’s Word to check the foundation of anyone’s beliefs and teachings. What this supposed trip to heaven shows, along with other facts we will address, is that the foundation of Mike Bickle’s ministry is false. If the foundation of one’s ministry is not God’s Word, if its focus is not preaching the gospel of salvation, if it’s not centered on preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins, then the ministry is absolutely built on the wrong foundation. And, while it may seem to succeed in man’s estimation, while its events may draw huge crowds, while the leaders may be popular, these points don’t mean that the ministry is biblical).
Besides traveling to heaven, Bickle claims to have had several encounters with God, including hearing the audible voice of God. The following is from two messages given by Bickle, one in Sept. of 2009 and the other in April of 2011. This also shows how Bickle feels he was given the directions for beginning the IHOP ministry.
“My first dramatic, life-changing encounter related to this movement was in Cairo, Egypt in 1982. I am in Cairo, Egypt, in a hotel room, and I had a life-altering dramatic experience where the fear of the Lord fell on me in a literal way. The Lord said, “I will change the understanding and expression of Christianity in the whole earth in one generation.” He said, “I am going to do this across the whole earth.” The Lord spoke clearly what I call four heart standards. These were four values the Lord cemented in me in Cairo, Egypt. (http://www.mikebickle.org.edgesuite.net/MikeBickleVOD/2009/20090917A-T-The_Early_Days_Cairo_Egypt_and_the_Solemn_Assembly_IPH01.pdf)
God spoke about four different heart standards that were necessary in this new expression of Christianity. Some years later, in 1996, He gave us an acronym. These are the same four values He spoke to me way back in 1982. The acronym was IHOP. For three years we were saying, “God has called us to I – H – O - P.” We weren’t talking about a prayer ministry; we were talking about living with these four standards. “I” stands for intercession. “H” stands for holiness, for the whole Sermon on the Mount lifestyle that’s energized by intimacy with God. “O” stands for offerings to the poor: extravagant giving by living simply. “P” stands for the prophetic, for the intervention of God, for the move of His Spirit and His vision, His direction, His protection, and all that’s involved in it.
(http://www.mikebickle.org.edgesuite.net/MikeBickleVOD/2011/20110425_T_Explosion_of_Light_the_White_Horse_and_the_Chariots_IPH02.pdf) (So, Bickle claims that even the acronym IHOP was given to him by God. But, that is odd because IHOP was already the official acronym used by the International House of Pancakes, and had been since 1973. And, they had lawsuits brought against them which were settled out of court. I think that’s pretty fishy. But, of much more concern is this whole concept that God supposedly said He was changing the “understanding and expression of Christianity in the whole earth in one generation.” Again, as with his “trip to heaven” why should anyone believe this? Why on earth would God want there to be a specific understanding and expression of Christianity for close to 2000 years and now, boom, all of a sudden there is to be a change? Is there any indication this will happen in God’s Word that you have seen, sister Tammy? And, then, I find it quite odd that none of these four different heart standards, or values, mention Jesus. Neither do they mention sin or repentance. Lots of red flags here with all of this.)
(http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/30/local/la-me-12-30-ihop-20101230)
So, IHOP began its daily prayer meetings on September 19, 1999. These have been held 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, since then. IHOP also established a Bible college, known as the International House of Prayer University and several internships for young adults. In addition to these training programs, IHOP also organizes various evangelism and charitable programs locally and internationally. The ministry currently consists of approximately 2,500 full-time staff members, students, and interns. IHOP organizes the annual Onething conference at the Kansas City Convention Center and we plan on discussing several of these past conferences in our next discussion, Lord willing. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Bickle_(minister)
Now, one can visit the IHOP website and find the following link: “A Brief History of 24/7 Prayer.” This link contains too much information to share all of it, but I want to focus on one paragraph entitled: “The Early Monastic Tradition of 24/7 Prayer.” (https://www.ihopkc.org/prayerroom/history/)
It reads: “For over one thousand years, monasticism (the practice of taking vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to one’s spiritual superior) held a key role in the development of theology and practice in the Church. From the fourth and fifth centuries, monks and nuns were an accepted part of society. Monasticism is the cradle from which perpetual prayer was birthed in the church age.” (Isn’t it interesting how he so casually says “in the church” and “in the church age”? The church he is speaking of is the Catholic church and this is only one of many examples that he is quite ecumenical).
IHOP interns are given the message that they are an elite group and IHOP's vision statement states that they are here to "call forth, train, and mobilize worshiping intercessors who operate in the forerunner spirit as End Time prophetic messengers" (pg. 236; Prophetic, 2006;
http://designofprovidence.blogspot.com/2012/09/mike-bickle-and-his-time-with-god.html).
(And, sister Tammy, I know you have prepared to speak about this forerunner teaching in just a few moments).
But, I want us to consider the words of a former intern at IHOP concerning what they are taught at IHOP conferences and in teaching sessions by the leaders. These young people are told: “YOU are called to be on the cutting edge. Come here and join a community of other people who are like you, called to what you’re called to. We understand you. You’ve been mis-understood in the church. You’ve had your wings clipped, your gifts misunderstood. Here you can fulfill your forerunner calling that your family just hasn’t understood about you. You might feel like you don’t fit back home, you’re on the outside, no one understands the fire in you. Well we get it. You are the leaders that God is raising up in these end times and you will be kings and queens on the earth—reigning with Him. You were made for this place. IHOP is an incubator for people like you.” (http://wideawakechristian.blogspot.com/2016/05/emergent-monday-ihop-and-perils-of.html) (Well, if those statements don’t sound cultish I don’t know what does. You know, such phrases are completely narcissistic; they instill pride and arrogance in youth. As we have already seen there’s nothing about the gospel; about mankind being sinners and needing salvation. How tragic, really).
Sister Tammy, could you go ahead and share what you have at this time?
Mike Bickle is part of the New Apostolic Reformation, the followers of which believe in Dominion Theology. In case anyone is unfamiliar with this aberrant theology, I will give a short, basic definition.
This is from Al Dager’s book VENGEANCE IS OURS: The Church In Dominion: A basic premise of dominion theology is that when Adam sinned, not only did man lose dominion over the earth, but God also lost control of the earth to Satan. Since that time, some say, God has been on the outside looking in, searching for a “covenant people” who will be His “extension” or “expression” in the earth to take dominion back from Satan. According to the dominionist interpretation, this is the meaning of the Great Commission.
Some teach that this is to be accomplished through certain “overcomers” who, by yielding themselves to the authority of latter-day apostles and prophets, will take control of the kingdoms of this world. This idea of kingdoms is part of the Seven Mountain Mandate which says there are seven kingdoms which are variously referred to as mountains, cultures, pillars, or spheres in every society and individual Christians are to bring the Kingdom of God down into the sphere over which they have influence. These spheres are government, education, religion, business, media, arts and entertainment, and family. According to NAR apostle, Lance Wallnau, God wants to partner supernaturally with you to bring you into “occupation” of new territory. A new company of “kings and priests” is being activated in every sphere of culture to bring forth a testimony of the kingdom.
However, the Word of God says this in Daniel 7:18 concerning believers and the Kingdom of God: "But the saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom, and possess the Kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." The time setting for this occurrence is after Christ's return according to verses 13 and 14 of Daniel 7 which says, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given him Dominion, and Glory, and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
Now, as I said, Mike Bickle is a dominionist, but he has a somewhat different eschatology, which means end time beliefs, than some others in the movement. I would like to read an article from Herescope which is Sarah Leslie’s website. The article is entitled: Bickle's "Forerunner Eschatology": Just a Slightly Different Route to the Dominion Mandate.”
“Mike Bickle presents a variant of Dominion end-times teaching that crossbreeds elements of Dispensational eschatology with Dominion Post-Millennial views. Most Dominionists portray Dispensationalists as passive in a derogatory way, depicting them as believers who simply wait for the day and hour for the Rapture which snatches them away before the Great Tribulation can begin. But in Mike Bickle's treatment of the Bible's book of Revelation there is no passive waiting for the Rapture. Rather the church has the mandate to bring forward the return of the Lord. Bickle believes God has anointed him to call forth and train end-time Christian forerunners. He is praying for thousands of last-days “forerunner Christians” to be raised up within this generation as special prophetic voices that will emerge in the spirit and power of Elijah and defeat the Antichrist’s soon-coming one-world government and religion by praying the “battle plan” of the Book of Revelation.
Bickle does not simply preach that the church will go through the Great Tribulation sealed by God’s sovereign power, but that the end-time church will actually cause God’s judgments to be released on the earth through prophetic prayer. In other words, the end-time praying church will not simply be helpless martyrs during the Great Tribulation; it will victoriously establish justice on the earth by releasing the devastating Great Tribulation judgments on the Antichrist’s global evil empire.
In addition to destroying the Antichrist system, these forerunners supposedly purify the church. Joel's Army, a booklet published by Discernment Ministries online, which discusses the eschatology of the ‘Kansas City Prophets’ in detail, explains that "The 'Day of the Lord' is re-interpreted by these false prophets to mean that Christ will come to His Church and incarnate, or become God in flesh, an army of believers – thus giving them supernatural qualities to execute judgment on the Church. The “Day of the Lord” as seen through the eyes of the New Wave “prophets” will be a time when Joel’s Army, led by these “prophets,” will pour out God's wrath on the church! Then, they claim, for the first time in two thousand years the “pure church” will come forth. In other words, the blood of Christ did not avail, nor will it, in the last days because this Joel’s Army and the “prophets” will do what Jesus Christ’s blood could not; i.e., “cleanse” the Church....”
All of this amounts to false teaching. Let’s read the account of how all those attached to Satan’s evil system really are defeated: Rev. 19:11-15 and 19-21 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
So, Christ and His armies, not an army of forerunners as Mike Bickle believes, defeat those who had followed the beast and false prophet. And, then as the Joel's Army booklet explains: If indeed it takes this Joel’s Army to purify the Church, then all the preaching of the Cross from the early Church to the present was in vain. And rather than the Cross of Christ being God's final answer to “walking in newness of life,” we should look for another. And, so, we can see a complete misrepresentation even of the Blood of Jesus being preached by Mike Bickle.
Thank you for all that, sister Tammy. We can really see how unbiblical his teaching is and how all these young people are sadly being led astray.
Now, I would like to discuss Mike Bickle’s promotion of contemplative prayer. The following is from a teaching he gave in April of 2008 entitled: “Fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit: 5 Practical Phrases.” He first gives what he calls “practical principles in talking with the Spirit.” These are:
As we linger in His presence, speak affectionately (intermittently saying to God, “I love You”) speak slowly (not rapid fire), softly (not shouting at the indwelling Spirit), briefly (short phrases not paragraphs, even reducing phrases to one word)and minimally (listen twice as much as talking by limiting our speaking to one third) with many pauses, praying with our spirit (1 Cor. 14:2) along with gently sighing (Rom. 8:26) with gazing in silence for a few seconds or minutes. “Less is more” in terms of amount and volume of speaking. Journal: take time to record thoughts and prayers so as to capture the truths He gives us.
Then, using the acronym trust, he goes on to give the short phrases one can repeat quite often during the day. T is for “thank you”; R is for “release revelation”; U for “use me”; S for “strengthen me”; and, T for “teach me.” He says this helps him to focus. Now, he does provide full sentences that can be prayed which begin with these phrases, but if one repeats the sentences over and over this could become examples of the vain repetitions we are not to pray according to Matt. 6:7. So, either way it wouldn’t be wise to follow these instructions. (http://www.mikebickle.org.edgesuite.net/MikeBickleVOD/2008/20080427_Fellowshipping_With_the_Spirit_Five_Practical_Phrases_PSM01.pdf) (And, since we don’t have time to cover the problems with contemplative prayer I am going to include the link to an article from our website about it in the facebook note for this discussion for anyone who would like more information. We will just say at this point that contemplative prayer is not biblical). (https://www.thenarrowpath.co.uk/mysticismcontemplative-prayer.html)
In a video which shows Mike Bickle discussing the TRUST acronym, he also says, “We will walk in the Spirit to the degree we talk to the Spirit. The Holy Spirit longs for us to talk to Him. He really likes you; He has a lot to say to you; but He won’t force you to talk to Him.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOS6ZLJ9sO4)
(But this idea is problematic because there are several scriptures giving us examples of people praying to God such as Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Then, we have the example of Stephen asking Jesus to receive his spirit. That is recorded in Acts 7:59. But, there is no record in the New Testament of an apostle or someone in the early church praying to the Holy Spirit. Eph. 6:18 and Jude 20 encourage us to pray “in the Spirit,” but “in” doesn’t mean the same thing as “to.” In Rom. 8:26 we read: “…for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” So, according to Mike Bickle the Holy Spirit would be interceding to Himself, and that, of course, makes no sense).
Here is some more information about his promotion of contemplative prayer. This is from an article entitled “Mike Bickle of IHOP wants book about Catholic mystics to be manual for IHOP KC.” Much of the literature being sold through the International House of Prayer’s online FORERUNNER Bookstore indicates a contemplative influence. One such book being offered is Fire Within, written by Father Thomas Dubay. The full title of the book is Fire Within: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the Gospel–On Prayer. So, incredibly, Bickle’s “manual” is about Catholic, contemplative mystics! (I checked the bookstore site this morning and there are actually three books offered by Thomas Dubay. And, according to Wikipedia, Dubay wrote over 20 books on Catholic spirituality, in which he emphasized the importance of renewed conversion and contemplative prayer. You know, you just have to wonder if the parents of these young people at IHOP have even researched these things).
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Dubay)
According to the article another book that has been previously offered is The Forgotten Desert Mothers, by Laura Swan. Swan writes, “We begin to discard our old ways and go in search of new ways of communicating with God. Our prayer matures and takes on new forms.” And what are these new forms? Swan states, “Centering prayer, lectiodivina, Christian meditation, Taize, and the Divine Office are all sought. Prayer moves us toward the simple: often sitting silently before the Divine–in contemplative or centering prayer–is all we feel drawn to do.” At the Forerunner site I found there are four books currently offered by Richard Foster and twelve by Henri Nouwen. Foster and Nouwen are two of the most well-known names in the contemplative movement.
Here are some statements from a teaching by Mike Bickle from July 19, 2001 entitled “Contemplative Prayer: Journey into Fullness.”
“The Holy Spirit is restoring contemplative prayer to the body of Christ. There’s no biblical definition for contemplative prayer. Contemplative prayer has been defined differently by different theologians in different generations of church history. There’s a clear Holy Spirit emphasis on the subject of contemplative prayer. The pathway to contemplative prayer, to the inward life, is enjoying intimacy with God. It’s more than intercession, more than praying for the sick. The Protestant wing of the Western church is nearly 98 percent unaware that the Holy Spirit is restoring contemplative prayer, bringing it center stage to the Church. A lot of us think that church history began in 1517. We think that when Martin Luther went and nailed those Ninety-five Theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg, church history began. It didn’t begin with Martin Luther. Church history has been going for 2,000 years, not 500 years.” (Well, I am sure he didn’t mean it this way, but he is absolutely right when he says there’s no biblical definition for prayer, and the reason why is because it’s not in the Bible! You know, we have the Biblical model for prayer in Matthew 6 and it and contemplative prayer are nothing alike. It’s sad because many people hear the word prayer and think all forms that man invents are pleasing to God. And, the Holy Spirit isn’t going to restore something to the body of Christ that isn’t biblical. The Holy Spirit isn’t emphasizing contemplative prayer; man is emphasizing it by focusing on experiences rather than the Word of God. And, then, when he says church history has been going on for 2,000 years he is obviously including all the years the Catholic church was front and center in “church” history. However, this is not the true church, but rather a huge religious system founded and based on the traditions of men).
Next, I want to read an excerpt from a report published in Rolling Stone magazine in January of 2014: “One July day in 1988, Mike Bickle was sitting in his office, reading a wedding card inscribed with a verse from the Song of Solomon. ‘Jesus, seal my heart with your seal of love,’ Bickle spontaneously prayed. Unaccountably, he began to weep. The phone rang. A prophet had heard the ‘audible voice of the Lord’ for Bickle: The Song of Solomon, a dialogue between King Solomon and his beloved, should become a focus of Bickle’s ministry. It eventually came to Bickle that true believers must see Jesus ‘through the eyes of a bride with loyal, devoted love’--they must ‘feel loved and in love’ with Christ. Without this intimacy in worship, Christ would not return to earth. ...” (https://ratherexposethem.blogspot.com/2015/03/international-house-of-prayer.html) (Now, this report doesn’t name the prophet that said the Song of Solomon should become a focus of Bickle’s ministry, but research shows that Bob Jones played a huge role in the formation of IHOP. Mike Bickle has stated the following: "There is nobody in the natural that had a more integral role in establishing our foundations in that kind of prophetic way, than Bob [Jones]" I will include a link which goes in depth into the influence Bob Jones had on this ministry for anyone who wants to study more into this aspect). (http://www.banner.org.uk/kcp/Abberent%20Practises.pdf). (The point is that Mike Bickle allowed a man, who quite frankly has made some of the craziest statements concerning things he has supposedly seen; who has made many false prophecies; and, as I already mentioned, admitted to inappropriate actions concerning women, to give him directions for his ministry he said were from the Lord and Bickle apparently never questioned these things. And, whether it was Bob Jones who gave Bickle the word concerning the Song of Solomon or not, we know someone influenced him concerning one of the major false teachings coming out of IHOP which is something called the Bridal Paradigm. This false teaching correctly names Jesus as the Bridegroom, but incorrectly names each Christian as the individual bride of Christ and in their worship a major emphasis is placed on intimacy with God).
Now, they have received so much criticism of this false teaching they felt the need to defend it on their website. Part of the statement reads: “We deny, we refuse, all sensual overtones in proclaiming Jesus as the Bridegroom. Jesus is not our lover or boyfriend. We do not go on "dates" with Jesus. Receiving the "kiss of God's Word" (Song 1:2) has nothing to do with physically kissing God. Neither the spiritual interpretation of the Song of Solomon nor references to "the romance of the gospel" have anything to do with sensuality, but with the adventuresome love that is filled with a spirit of abandonment that sacrificially loves and obeys Jesus.” (https://www.ihopkc.org/about/affirmations-and-denials/) (Now, why would someone feel the need to say the kiss of God’s Word has nothing to do with physically kissing God unless some of your teaching can be interpreted this way? No one, anywhere, or in any way, should ever think this! And, why do they have references to the “romance of the gospel” and why do they use the phrase “adventuresome love that is filled with the spirit of abandonment?”
You, know they can act as innocent as they want, but the truth is there are inappropriate references made in their teaching and music. I only have time for a few examples, but these should suffice.
Here is an excerpt from Bickle's book, Passion for Jesus: "God is not some mystical, nebulous force that loves the masses but not individuals, who love is focused on vast populations but not on a single person. You serve a deeply loving, passionate God whose heart is ravished by the beauty of your sincere, devoted heart. You are so beautiful to Him that you take His breath away!"
Here is the chorus to the song “Lovesick” by Misty Edwards:
I am lovesick, for my Beloved
My Beloved and my Friend
Only you can satisfy
Try as I may to chase another Lover,
I find there is, there is no other
For only you can satisfy
Here is one stanza to the song “See the Way” by Misty Edwards:
For God is a Lover
Looking for a lover so He fashioned me
God is a Lover
Looking for a lover so
He formed my heart
God is a Lover
Looking for a lover so He fashioned me
Additionally, according to a former intern at IHOP, they basically have a glossary of commonly used phrases to help the students understand the terminology used in teaching messages, prayers, worship music, and so forth. Here are some of the ones that show the inappropriateness of the bridal paradigm teaching:
Captivated/fascinated/ravished heart - In the context of the bridal paradigm, this refers to someone who is wholeheartedly in love with God. In the natural, this refers to a heart moved with deep emotion and love, due to the actions of their lover (Song 4:9).
Kiss me with the kisses of your Word - A prayer, taken from Song of Songs 1:2, asking that, as people read the Scripture, God would reveal His love, affections, and beauty so as to empower holiness and love for Him (Song 1:2–4; Jn. 17:17; Eph. 1:17).
Lovesick - Overwhelmed by love for God (Song 2:5, 5:8).
Spirit of burning - this is a cycle of maintaining a passionate desire for Jesus so that you are in a place of emotional pain whenever He is absent; hope and excited expectancy because of the knowledge that He loves to come to the hungry and thirsty heart; real experiential encounters with His beauty and presence causing you to have an even greater desire to be close to Jesus (Mt. 22:37; Lk. 24:13–32)(https://gospelmasquerade.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/the-cult-code-language/) (As I said, I believe these examples will suffice to show the inappropriateness of these ideas. It’s just really sad to see the young people there being led astray by this false teaching and many others).
Now, I have already given several examples of Mike Bickle’s ecumenical outlook especially concerning Catholicism. And, as I stated previously, we will cover this more in depth in the next discussion about the OneThing conferences. I did want to mention one more example today in closing and that is the trip made to the Vatican by Mike Bickle and several other leaders in the NAR. This trip took place in June of 2016. As reported by Charisma News, according to Bickle, the purpose of the meeting was to engage in an ongoing dialogue about the pontiff's views on Jesus and Christianity.
Bickle stated: "The meeting lasted a couple of hours. They gave us the opportunity to ask questions. The meeting was very warm and personal. I asked him about his views on the serious error and deception of universalism that claims that 'all paths lead to God' and other religions being saved without receiving the grace of God that only comes through Jesus. He assured me that he believes that Jesus is the only way of salvation." (https://macarthur.charismanews.com/world/57751-mike-bickle-meets-with-pope-francis-to-discuss-jesus) (Well, we would ask, why are any “Protestants” visiting the Vatican, anyway? You can ask this question about universalism, but what about all the other errors in the Catholic church? And, anyone who understands that the pope is a Jesuit, and anyone who knows anything about Jesuits, knows lying is not only accepted, but is expected, as part of their plans to deceive).
Well, sister Tammy, that is all I have for this time. We just pray people will research these movements and not just think something like, 24/7 prayer? Wow, that must be of God!
The following are the notes to the discussion found at this link (https://www.facebook.com/tammy.cheetham.77/videos/336591753507206/?id=100014819433180) for anyone who would like to study the subject more in depth.
As with many of our topics, the subject is huge, and we could have several discussions about it. So, this discussion will not be comprehensive, but we hope to give good summaries about many areas of this ministry. And, as always, when we put the notes on, we will have the links so people can read and learn more for themselves.
Mike Bickle has stated he was born again in 1971. Then he was part of a Presbyterian church for five years, and he was radically anti-Charismatic for a number of years. But, anyone aware of his ministry knows that has completely changed. After serving as a pastor in several evangelical churches in St. Louis, Bickle moved to Kansas City to start the Kansas City Fellowship (now known as Metro Christian Fellowship) in November 1982. Eventually, Metro Christian Fellowship joined the Association of Vineyard Churches led by John Wimber in 1990 and remained a part of that association of churches until 1996. During his tenure as the pastor of Metro Christian Fellowship, Bickle pastored a group known to both detractors and supporters as the Kansas City Prophets. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Bickle_(minister) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostolic-Prophetic_Movement)
A brief summary of the Kansas City prophets is as follows: Some of those who shaped the current Apostolic-Prophetic Movement in the United States were based in Kansas City, Missouri and became known as the "Kansas City Prophets." This phrase was coined by critics and never used by the "prophets" themselves, according to Mike Bickle. He has never called himself a prophet but called Paul Cain and Bob Jones prophets. Some have said the "Kansas City Prophets" were Bob Jones, Bill Hamon, Paul Cain, Mike Bickle, James Goll, John Paul Jackson, and Lou Engle. Bob Jones and John Paul Jackson have died. The rest of these men are still very active in the Apostolic-Prophetic movement. And, to be quite frank, these are not men whose ministries we should be following. Sadly, they are held up as great men of God in many circles even though Bob Jones admitted he had told ladies to undress in front of him in order for him to give them a word from the Lord (http://www.religionnewsblog.com/16929/minister-removed-after-confession-of-sexual-misconduct). Paul Cain was removed from a ministerial position due to homosexuality and alcoholism (https://www.charismamag.com/site-archives/154-peopleevents/people-and-events/1514-prophetic-minister-paul-cain-issues-public-apology-for-immoral-lifestyle-). James Goll can be seen on Sid Roth’s program describing angelic visitations (https://sidroth.org/television/tv-archives/james-goll-0/). Lou Engle kissed the feet of a Catholic leader at Azusa 2016 in an act of reconciliation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiR2VM6bxIg). Much more could be said, of course, but we must be very careful as we study individual ministries to research the beliefs of particular people and their associations.
The Kansas City prophets mainly operated during the 1980’s and early 90’s. It was during this time period, in August of 1984, that Mike Bickle claims to have visited heaven. This is his description of the trip: "The Lord took my spirit out of my body... I don't know how it operates but I know your body is where it’s at but you're not there and you're somewhere else. And it’s not a dream and it’s not a vision, you're literally somewhere else...I stood in this room and it had... clouds, it was a room only maybe 20 by 20 or 30. It was a little room. It had clouds in the bottom, on the top and the walls... (Bob Jones says "That's the courtroom")... I stood there, I was at the Lord's left hand, and I stood there, this was not a dream, this was as real as life here...I know it wasn't a dream or a vision...
He went on to say that in this courtroom a "whole line of" golden chariots appeared. There were men with those chariots and he believed those to be the 35 or so "super-apostles" that the Lord had previously told Bob Jones would be birthed out of this movement. A chariot appeared and "the Lord said 'get in it' and he knew intuitively, instantly, it was an Apostolic ministry." He said he didn’t think the Lord was specifically calling him an apostle, but that he had the opportunity in the grace of God to fill an apostolic calling if he was faithful to the full measure.’ (http://beyondgrace.blogspot.com/2011/09/mike-bickle-transported-to-heaven.html) (But, my question for these and others who have made these supposed “trips” to heaven is, on what grounds should I believe your account of these occurrences? I can believe the account by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:2 because it is recorded in the Bible which is God’s Word. Many people such as Bob Jones, Todd Bentley, and Kim Walker Smith of Jesus Culture, have given similar testimonies to Mike Bickle’s and if we check their teachings we will find absolutely unbiblical beliefs which discount the veracity of any such stories of trips to heaven. We must always go back to the truth of God’s Word to check the foundation of anyone’s beliefs and teachings. What this supposed trip to heaven shows, along with other facts we will address, is that the foundation of Mike Bickle’s ministry is false. If the foundation of one’s ministry is not God’s Word, if its focus is not preaching the gospel of salvation, if it’s not centered on preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins, then the ministry is absolutely built on the wrong foundation. And, while it may seem to succeed in man’s estimation, while its events may draw huge crowds, while the leaders may be popular, these points don’t mean that the ministry is biblical).
Besides traveling to heaven, Bickle claims to have had several encounters with God, including hearing the audible voice of God. The following is from two messages given by Bickle, one in Sept. of 2009 and the other in April of 2011. This also shows how Bickle feels he was given the directions for beginning the IHOP ministry.
“My first dramatic, life-changing encounter related to this movement was in Cairo, Egypt in 1982. I am in Cairo, Egypt, in a hotel room, and I had a life-altering dramatic experience where the fear of the Lord fell on me in a literal way. The Lord said, “I will change the understanding and expression of Christianity in the whole earth in one generation.” He said, “I am going to do this across the whole earth.” The Lord spoke clearly what I call four heart standards. These were four values the Lord cemented in me in Cairo, Egypt. (http://www.mikebickle.org.edgesuite.net/MikeBickleVOD/2009/20090917A-T-The_Early_Days_Cairo_Egypt_and_the_Solemn_Assembly_IPH01.pdf)
God spoke about four different heart standards that were necessary in this new expression of Christianity. Some years later, in 1996, He gave us an acronym. These are the same four values He spoke to me way back in 1982. The acronym was IHOP. For three years we were saying, “God has called us to I – H – O - P.” We weren’t talking about a prayer ministry; we were talking about living with these four standards. “I” stands for intercession. “H” stands for holiness, for the whole Sermon on the Mount lifestyle that’s energized by intimacy with God. “O” stands for offerings to the poor: extravagant giving by living simply. “P” stands for the prophetic, for the intervention of God, for the move of His Spirit and His vision, His direction, His protection, and all that’s involved in it.
(http://www.mikebickle.org.edgesuite.net/MikeBickleVOD/2011/20110425_T_Explosion_of_Light_the_White_Horse_and_the_Chariots_IPH02.pdf) (So, Bickle claims that even the acronym IHOP was given to him by God. But, that is odd because IHOP was already the official acronym used by the International House of Pancakes, and had been since 1973. And, they had lawsuits brought against them which were settled out of court. I think that’s pretty fishy. But, of much more concern is this whole concept that God supposedly said He was changing the “understanding and expression of Christianity in the whole earth in one generation.” Again, as with his “trip to heaven” why should anyone believe this? Why on earth would God want there to be a specific understanding and expression of Christianity for close to 2000 years and now, boom, all of a sudden there is to be a change? Is there any indication this will happen in God’s Word that you have seen, sister Tammy? And, then, I find it quite odd that none of these four different heart standards, or values, mention Jesus. Neither do they mention sin or repentance. Lots of red flags here with all of this.)
(http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/30/local/la-me-12-30-ihop-20101230)
So, IHOP began its daily prayer meetings on September 19, 1999. These have been held 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, since then. IHOP also established a Bible college, known as the International House of Prayer University and several internships for young adults. In addition to these training programs, IHOP also organizes various evangelism and charitable programs locally and internationally. The ministry currently consists of approximately 2,500 full-time staff members, students, and interns. IHOP organizes the annual Onething conference at the Kansas City Convention Center and we plan on discussing several of these past conferences in our next discussion, Lord willing. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Bickle_(minister)
Now, one can visit the IHOP website and find the following link: “A Brief History of 24/7 Prayer.” This link contains too much information to share all of it, but I want to focus on one paragraph entitled: “The Early Monastic Tradition of 24/7 Prayer.” (https://www.ihopkc.org/prayerroom/history/)
It reads: “For over one thousand years, monasticism (the practice of taking vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to one’s spiritual superior) held a key role in the development of theology and practice in the Church. From the fourth and fifth centuries, monks and nuns were an accepted part of society. Monasticism is the cradle from which perpetual prayer was birthed in the church age.” (Isn’t it interesting how he so casually says “in the church” and “in the church age”? The church he is speaking of is the Catholic church and this is only one of many examples that he is quite ecumenical).
IHOP interns are given the message that they are an elite group and IHOP's vision statement states that they are here to "call forth, train, and mobilize worshiping intercessors who operate in the forerunner spirit as End Time prophetic messengers" (pg. 236; Prophetic, 2006;
http://designofprovidence.blogspot.com/2012/09/mike-bickle-and-his-time-with-god.html).
(And, sister Tammy, I know you have prepared to speak about this forerunner teaching in just a few moments).
But, I want us to consider the words of a former intern at IHOP concerning what they are taught at IHOP conferences and in teaching sessions by the leaders. These young people are told: “YOU are called to be on the cutting edge. Come here and join a community of other people who are like you, called to what you’re called to. We understand you. You’ve been mis-understood in the church. You’ve had your wings clipped, your gifts misunderstood. Here you can fulfill your forerunner calling that your family just hasn’t understood about you. You might feel like you don’t fit back home, you’re on the outside, no one understands the fire in you. Well we get it. You are the leaders that God is raising up in these end times and you will be kings and queens on the earth—reigning with Him. You were made for this place. IHOP is an incubator for people like you.” (http://wideawakechristian.blogspot.com/2016/05/emergent-monday-ihop-and-perils-of.html) (Well, if those statements don’t sound cultish I don’t know what does. You know, such phrases are completely narcissistic; they instill pride and arrogance in youth. As we have already seen there’s nothing about the gospel; about mankind being sinners and needing salvation. How tragic, really).
Sister Tammy, could you go ahead and share what you have at this time?
Mike Bickle is part of the New Apostolic Reformation, the followers of which believe in Dominion Theology. In case anyone is unfamiliar with this aberrant theology, I will give a short, basic definition.
This is from Al Dager’s book VENGEANCE IS OURS: The Church In Dominion: A basic premise of dominion theology is that when Adam sinned, not only did man lose dominion over the earth, but God also lost control of the earth to Satan. Since that time, some say, God has been on the outside looking in, searching for a “covenant people” who will be His “extension” or “expression” in the earth to take dominion back from Satan. According to the dominionist interpretation, this is the meaning of the Great Commission.
Some teach that this is to be accomplished through certain “overcomers” who, by yielding themselves to the authority of latter-day apostles and prophets, will take control of the kingdoms of this world. This idea of kingdoms is part of the Seven Mountain Mandate which says there are seven kingdoms which are variously referred to as mountains, cultures, pillars, or spheres in every society and individual Christians are to bring the Kingdom of God down into the sphere over which they have influence. These spheres are government, education, religion, business, media, arts and entertainment, and family. According to NAR apostle, Lance Wallnau, God wants to partner supernaturally with you to bring you into “occupation” of new territory. A new company of “kings and priests” is being activated in every sphere of culture to bring forth a testimony of the kingdom.
However, the Word of God says this in Daniel 7:18 concerning believers and the Kingdom of God: "But the saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom, and possess the Kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever." The time setting for this occurrence is after Christ's return according to verses 13 and 14 of Daniel 7 which says, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given him Dominion, and Glory, and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”
Now, as I said, Mike Bickle is a dominionist, but he has a somewhat different eschatology, which means end time beliefs, than some others in the movement. I would like to read an article from Herescope which is Sarah Leslie’s website. The article is entitled: Bickle's "Forerunner Eschatology": Just a Slightly Different Route to the Dominion Mandate.”
“Mike Bickle presents a variant of Dominion end-times teaching that crossbreeds elements of Dispensational eschatology with Dominion Post-Millennial views. Most Dominionists portray Dispensationalists as passive in a derogatory way, depicting them as believers who simply wait for the day and hour for the Rapture which snatches them away before the Great Tribulation can begin. But in Mike Bickle's treatment of the Bible's book of Revelation there is no passive waiting for the Rapture. Rather the church has the mandate to bring forward the return of the Lord. Bickle believes God has anointed him to call forth and train end-time Christian forerunners. He is praying for thousands of last-days “forerunner Christians” to be raised up within this generation as special prophetic voices that will emerge in the spirit and power of Elijah and defeat the Antichrist’s soon-coming one-world government and religion by praying the “battle plan” of the Book of Revelation.
Bickle does not simply preach that the church will go through the Great Tribulation sealed by God’s sovereign power, but that the end-time church will actually cause God’s judgments to be released on the earth through prophetic prayer. In other words, the end-time praying church will not simply be helpless martyrs during the Great Tribulation; it will victoriously establish justice on the earth by releasing the devastating Great Tribulation judgments on the Antichrist’s global evil empire.
In addition to destroying the Antichrist system, these forerunners supposedly purify the church. Joel's Army, a booklet published by Discernment Ministries online, which discusses the eschatology of the ‘Kansas City Prophets’ in detail, explains that "The 'Day of the Lord' is re-interpreted by these false prophets to mean that Christ will come to His Church and incarnate, or become God in flesh, an army of believers – thus giving them supernatural qualities to execute judgment on the Church. The “Day of the Lord” as seen through the eyes of the New Wave “prophets” will be a time when Joel’s Army, led by these “prophets,” will pour out God's wrath on the church! Then, they claim, for the first time in two thousand years the “pure church” will come forth. In other words, the blood of Christ did not avail, nor will it, in the last days because this Joel’s Army and the “prophets” will do what Jesus Christ’s blood could not; i.e., “cleanse” the Church....”
All of this amounts to false teaching. Let’s read the account of how all those attached to Satan’s evil system really are defeated: Rev. 19:11-15 and 19-21 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.
So, Christ and His armies, not an army of forerunners as Mike Bickle believes, defeat those who had followed the beast and false prophet. And, then as the Joel's Army booklet explains: If indeed it takes this Joel’s Army to purify the Church, then all the preaching of the Cross from the early Church to the present was in vain. And rather than the Cross of Christ being God's final answer to “walking in newness of life,” we should look for another. And, so, we can see a complete misrepresentation even of the Blood of Jesus being preached by Mike Bickle.
Thank you for all that, sister Tammy. We can really see how unbiblical his teaching is and how all these young people are sadly being led astray.
Now, I would like to discuss Mike Bickle’s promotion of contemplative prayer. The following is from a teaching he gave in April of 2008 entitled: “Fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit: 5 Practical Phrases.” He first gives what he calls “practical principles in talking with the Spirit.” These are:
As we linger in His presence, speak affectionately (intermittently saying to God, “I love You”) speak slowly (not rapid fire), softly (not shouting at the indwelling Spirit), briefly (short phrases not paragraphs, even reducing phrases to one word)and minimally (listen twice as much as talking by limiting our speaking to one third) with many pauses, praying with our spirit (1 Cor. 14:2) along with gently sighing (Rom. 8:26) with gazing in silence for a few seconds or minutes. “Less is more” in terms of amount and volume of speaking. Journal: take time to record thoughts and prayers so as to capture the truths He gives us.
Then, using the acronym trust, he goes on to give the short phrases one can repeat quite often during the day. T is for “thank you”; R is for “release revelation”; U for “use me”; S for “strengthen me”; and, T for “teach me.” He says this helps him to focus. Now, he does provide full sentences that can be prayed which begin with these phrases, but if one repeats the sentences over and over this could become examples of the vain repetitions we are not to pray according to Matt. 6:7. So, either way it wouldn’t be wise to follow these instructions. (http://www.mikebickle.org.edgesuite.net/MikeBickleVOD/2008/20080427_Fellowshipping_With_the_Spirit_Five_Practical_Phrases_PSM01.pdf) (And, since we don’t have time to cover the problems with contemplative prayer I am going to include the link to an article from our website about it in the facebook note for this discussion for anyone who would like more information. We will just say at this point that contemplative prayer is not biblical). (https://www.thenarrowpath.co.uk/mysticismcontemplative-prayer.html)
In a video which shows Mike Bickle discussing the TRUST acronym, he also says, “We will walk in the Spirit to the degree we talk to the Spirit. The Holy Spirit longs for us to talk to Him. He really likes you; He has a lot to say to you; but He won’t force you to talk to Him.” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOS6ZLJ9sO4)
(But this idea is problematic because there are several scriptures giving us examples of people praying to God such as Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Then, we have the example of Stephen asking Jesus to receive his spirit. That is recorded in Acts 7:59. But, there is no record in the New Testament of an apostle or someone in the early church praying to the Holy Spirit. Eph. 6:18 and Jude 20 encourage us to pray “in the Spirit,” but “in” doesn’t mean the same thing as “to.” In Rom. 8:26 we read: “…for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” So, according to Mike Bickle the Holy Spirit would be interceding to Himself, and that, of course, makes no sense).
Here is some more information about his promotion of contemplative prayer. This is from an article entitled “Mike Bickle of IHOP wants book about Catholic mystics to be manual for IHOP KC.” Much of the literature being sold through the International House of Prayer’s online FORERUNNER Bookstore indicates a contemplative influence. One such book being offered is Fire Within, written by Father Thomas Dubay. The full title of the book is Fire Within: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the Gospel–On Prayer. So, incredibly, Bickle’s “manual” is about Catholic, contemplative mystics! (I checked the bookstore site this morning and there are actually three books offered by Thomas Dubay. And, according to Wikipedia, Dubay wrote over 20 books on Catholic spirituality, in which he emphasized the importance of renewed conversion and contemplative prayer. You know, you just have to wonder if the parents of these young people at IHOP have even researched these things).
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Dubay)
According to the article another book that has been previously offered is The Forgotten Desert Mothers, by Laura Swan. Swan writes, “We begin to discard our old ways and go in search of new ways of communicating with God. Our prayer matures and takes on new forms.” And what are these new forms? Swan states, “Centering prayer, lectiodivina, Christian meditation, Taize, and the Divine Office are all sought. Prayer moves us toward the simple: often sitting silently before the Divine–in contemplative or centering prayer–is all we feel drawn to do.” At the Forerunner site I found there are four books currently offered by Richard Foster and twelve by Henri Nouwen. Foster and Nouwen are two of the most well-known names in the contemplative movement.
Here are some statements from a teaching by Mike Bickle from July 19, 2001 entitled “Contemplative Prayer: Journey into Fullness.”
“The Holy Spirit is restoring contemplative prayer to the body of Christ. There’s no biblical definition for contemplative prayer. Contemplative prayer has been defined differently by different theologians in different generations of church history. There’s a clear Holy Spirit emphasis on the subject of contemplative prayer. The pathway to contemplative prayer, to the inward life, is enjoying intimacy with God. It’s more than intercession, more than praying for the sick. The Protestant wing of the Western church is nearly 98 percent unaware that the Holy Spirit is restoring contemplative prayer, bringing it center stage to the Church. A lot of us think that church history began in 1517. We think that when Martin Luther went and nailed those Ninety-five Theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg, church history began. It didn’t begin with Martin Luther. Church history has been going for 2,000 years, not 500 years.” (Well, I am sure he didn’t mean it this way, but he is absolutely right when he says there’s no biblical definition for prayer, and the reason why is because it’s not in the Bible! You know, we have the Biblical model for prayer in Matthew 6 and it and contemplative prayer are nothing alike. It’s sad because many people hear the word prayer and think all forms that man invents are pleasing to God. And, the Holy Spirit isn’t going to restore something to the body of Christ that isn’t biblical. The Holy Spirit isn’t emphasizing contemplative prayer; man is emphasizing it by focusing on experiences rather than the Word of God. And, then, when he says church history has been going on for 2,000 years he is obviously including all the years the Catholic church was front and center in “church” history. However, this is not the true church, but rather a huge religious system founded and based on the traditions of men).
Next, I want to read an excerpt from a report published in Rolling Stone magazine in January of 2014: “One July day in 1988, Mike Bickle was sitting in his office, reading a wedding card inscribed with a verse from the Song of Solomon. ‘Jesus, seal my heart with your seal of love,’ Bickle spontaneously prayed. Unaccountably, he began to weep. The phone rang. A prophet had heard the ‘audible voice of the Lord’ for Bickle: The Song of Solomon, a dialogue between King Solomon and his beloved, should become a focus of Bickle’s ministry. It eventually came to Bickle that true believers must see Jesus ‘through the eyes of a bride with loyal, devoted love’--they must ‘feel loved and in love’ with Christ. Without this intimacy in worship, Christ would not return to earth. ...” (https://ratherexposethem.blogspot.com/2015/03/international-house-of-prayer.html) (Now, this report doesn’t name the prophet that said the Song of Solomon should become a focus of Bickle’s ministry, but research shows that Bob Jones played a huge role in the formation of IHOP. Mike Bickle has stated the following: "There is nobody in the natural that had a more integral role in establishing our foundations in that kind of prophetic way, than Bob [Jones]" I will include a link which goes in depth into the influence Bob Jones had on this ministry for anyone who wants to study more into this aspect). (http://www.banner.org.uk/kcp/Abberent%20Practises.pdf). (The point is that Mike Bickle allowed a man, who quite frankly has made some of the craziest statements concerning things he has supposedly seen; who has made many false prophecies; and, as I already mentioned, admitted to inappropriate actions concerning women, to give him directions for his ministry he said were from the Lord and Bickle apparently never questioned these things. And, whether it was Bob Jones who gave Bickle the word concerning the Song of Solomon or not, we know someone influenced him concerning one of the major false teachings coming out of IHOP which is something called the Bridal Paradigm. This false teaching correctly names Jesus as the Bridegroom, but incorrectly names each Christian as the individual bride of Christ and in their worship a major emphasis is placed on intimacy with God).
Now, they have received so much criticism of this false teaching they felt the need to defend it on their website. Part of the statement reads: “We deny, we refuse, all sensual overtones in proclaiming Jesus as the Bridegroom. Jesus is not our lover or boyfriend. We do not go on "dates" with Jesus. Receiving the "kiss of God's Word" (Song 1:2) has nothing to do with physically kissing God. Neither the spiritual interpretation of the Song of Solomon nor references to "the romance of the gospel" have anything to do with sensuality, but with the adventuresome love that is filled with a spirit of abandonment that sacrificially loves and obeys Jesus.” (https://www.ihopkc.org/about/affirmations-and-denials/) (Now, why would someone feel the need to say the kiss of God’s Word has nothing to do with physically kissing God unless some of your teaching can be interpreted this way? No one, anywhere, or in any way, should ever think this! And, why do they have references to the “romance of the gospel” and why do they use the phrase “adventuresome love that is filled with the spirit of abandonment?”
You, know they can act as innocent as they want, but the truth is there are inappropriate references made in their teaching and music. I only have time for a few examples, but these should suffice.
Here is an excerpt from Bickle's book, Passion for Jesus: "God is not some mystical, nebulous force that loves the masses but not individuals, who love is focused on vast populations but not on a single person. You serve a deeply loving, passionate God whose heart is ravished by the beauty of your sincere, devoted heart. You are so beautiful to Him that you take His breath away!"
Here is the chorus to the song “Lovesick” by Misty Edwards:
I am lovesick, for my Beloved
My Beloved and my Friend
Only you can satisfy
Try as I may to chase another Lover,
I find there is, there is no other
For only you can satisfy
Here is one stanza to the song “See the Way” by Misty Edwards:
For God is a Lover
Looking for a lover so He fashioned me
God is a Lover
Looking for a lover so
He formed my heart
God is a Lover
Looking for a lover so He fashioned me
Additionally, according to a former intern at IHOP, they basically have a glossary of commonly used phrases to help the students understand the terminology used in teaching messages, prayers, worship music, and so forth. Here are some of the ones that show the inappropriateness of the bridal paradigm teaching:
Captivated/fascinated/ravished heart - In the context of the bridal paradigm, this refers to someone who is wholeheartedly in love with God. In the natural, this refers to a heart moved with deep emotion and love, due to the actions of their lover (Song 4:9).
Kiss me with the kisses of your Word - A prayer, taken from Song of Songs 1:2, asking that, as people read the Scripture, God would reveal His love, affections, and beauty so as to empower holiness and love for Him (Song 1:2–4; Jn. 17:17; Eph. 1:17).
Lovesick - Overwhelmed by love for God (Song 2:5, 5:8).
Spirit of burning - this is a cycle of maintaining a passionate desire for Jesus so that you are in a place of emotional pain whenever He is absent; hope and excited expectancy because of the knowledge that He loves to come to the hungry and thirsty heart; real experiential encounters with His beauty and presence causing you to have an even greater desire to be close to Jesus (Mt. 22:37; Lk. 24:13–32)(https://gospelmasquerade.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/the-cult-code-language/) (As I said, I believe these examples will suffice to show the inappropriateness of these ideas. It’s just really sad to see the young people there being led astray by this false teaching and many others).
Now, I have already given several examples of Mike Bickle’s ecumenical outlook especially concerning Catholicism. And, as I stated previously, we will cover this more in depth in the next discussion about the OneThing conferences. I did want to mention one more example today in closing and that is the trip made to the Vatican by Mike Bickle and several other leaders in the NAR. This trip took place in June of 2016. As reported by Charisma News, according to Bickle, the purpose of the meeting was to engage in an ongoing dialogue about the pontiff's views on Jesus and Christianity.
Bickle stated: "The meeting lasted a couple of hours. They gave us the opportunity to ask questions. The meeting was very warm and personal. I asked him about his views on the serious error and deception of universalism that claims that 'all paths lead to God' and other religions being saved without receiving the grace of God that only comes through Jesus. He assured me that he believes that Jesus is the only way of salvation." (https://macarthur.charismanews.com/world/57751-mike-bickle-meets-with-pope-francis-to-discuss-jesus) (Well, we would ask, why are any “Protestants” visiting the Vatican, anyway? You can ask this question about universalism, but what about all the other errors in the Catholic church? And, anyone who understands that the pope is a Jesuit, and anyone who knows anything about Jesuits, knows lying is not only accepted, but is expected, as part of their plans to deceive).
Well, sister Tammy, that is all I have for this time. We just pray people will research these movements and not just think something like, 24/7 prayer? Wow, that must be of God!