The trial of Micah
Moore has been postponed, yet again and is now scheduled for November 2014; over
two years from the date of Bethany Deaton’s murder. Some speculate there are higher powers at
work with a trail leading right to IHOP’s doorstep.
Without re-hashing
the entire story, I’d like to share a couple of links that will give background
information and updated information you may not have heard before. I will admit some of it was new to me.
Read here and see
what Rolling Stone didn’t tell you about the Deaton case:
In
my research I’ve had the opportunity to talk with many people in and around
Grandview, home of IHOP-KC. Some are
current members of IHOP, some former members and some with no affiliation at
all. There are many perspectives but I’ve
noticed a common thread in every story.
One word, really. Cult. No matter who I interview, the word comes
up. They are either convinced IHOP is a
cult, concerned that it might be a cult or defending it as a non-cult
entity.
Years
ago, IHOP founder, Mike Bickle, created a list of seven ways to recognize the
difference between a religious community and a cult.
1. Opposing critical thinking
2. Isolating members and penalizing them for leaving
3. Emphasizing special doctrines outside scripture
4. Seeking inappropriate loyalty to their leaders
5. Dishonoring the family unit
6. Crossing Biblical boundaries of behavior (versus sexual
purity and personal ownership)
7. Separation from the Church
The
irony is when analyzing the testimonies of numerous former members, IHOP
clearly meets all seven of these statutes.
One
former FITN intern said, “I, as well as several people I know, were shut down
when we dared to question our teachers.”
One
former IHOPU student wrote: “IHOPU discipleship
is based on assimilation and a shame-based unity.”
Another student noted, “The cycle
of victim blaming or quasi-Stockholm Syndrome is alive and well there (at
IHOP).”
But profound was an utterance from
the lips of a former IHOPU teacher when he said, “Toxic faith, lies, pride,
shaming…these kinds of things are sadly becoming an epidemic at IHOP.”
I could literally quote from
hundreds of testimony, but in the end the IHOP-ers will continue to defend
their theology and claim that anyone against them is “disgruntled” or “misled.” So, the point becomes moot and the agenda not
to talk-down but rather to share the experiences of those who have been and are
still involved with a hope to educate others.
In speaking with a literary
acquaintance, the book House of Lies by S.R.Claridge came up in conversation,
prompting me to contact the author, whose vast personal interest in IHOP was
one of the driving factors behind her controversial novel. Why the controversy? As some of you will recall, two weeks after
the release of House of Lies, which describes a cult member being drugged and
ultimately murdered near a lake in Kansas City, Missouri; Bethany Deaton is
found dead under similar circumstances. FOXNews and the rest of the mid-west wanted to know if the author knew more than
she was letting on.
The answer, yes. Interviews with several reporters indicated
that the author’s sister is personal friends with Mike Bickle and in leadership
with the IHOP organization; starting an offshoot called Gateway House of Prayer
(GHOP) in St. Louis. In an interview Claridge
expressed concern for her sister, stating, “IHOP possesses cult-like
tendencies, theologies and practices of which I believe are detrimental to the
individual, destructive to families and downright dangerous.”
After the release of House of
Lies, Claridge received hundreds of hostile emails from IHOP members upset
about the book, some of which stated that they were “praying for her to die.”
In a recent interview, Claridge
stated that the hate mail, as she called it, has died down but she fully
expects it to ramp up again when the sequel to House of Lies is released in
2015. “I’ve said it a thousand times, ‘the
books are fiction’ but their hatred of me is only proof that I have struck a
chord of truth within the pages.”
What is that truth? According to a former IHOP Editor, “members
suffer from a spirit of elitism, and a demonic arrogance that trickles down
from the top and stems from the belief that they really are the chosen members
of God’s elite army.” Upon what is this
belief based? A vision allegedly given
to Mike Bickle from God.
What happens if a member questions
the validity of the vision? Former
member Anthony wrote, “Asking questions about or having any skepticism about
the foundation of IHOP or Bickle’s vision is forbidden.” Another former member, Kris Koppy said, “I was shamed for asking questions, shamed for
disagreeing, shamed for thinking differently than the IHOP way.”
It makes
one wonder what will happen next? If you
truly want to know why not make an appointment at the IHOP Prophecy Rooms,
where you can receive prophecy-on-demand.
Different from fortune telling?
You tell me; but sign up quick because, according to the IHOP website,
time slots fill up fast. http://www.ihopkc.org/propheticministry/appointments/
“A perverse
and wicked generation looks for a sign, but none will be given to it.” Matthew 16:4
Does anyone else find it even remotely ironic that the IHOP symbol itself is waving a red flag?
Additional Resources:
