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Pt.2 Mike Bickle's Quixotic Spiritual Quest In addition to having a basis with Latter Rain teachings, Bickle believes in the same type of spiritual warfare. This is seen by his being part of Wagner’s apostolic/prophetic movement that supports this. Bickle had recently has invited Larry Lea to be part of his ministry. If we go back to 1989 Larry Lea began to raise up an army of 300,000 prayer warriors to change the landscape. Lea spoke about his meeting Peter Wagner who said to Lea, God told this 5 years before (video Lea From our spiritual warfare DVD). Larry Lea in the late 80’s said the Lord told him to gather a prayer army of 300,000 to pull down strongholds everywhere and recover everything Satan has stolen (needed to remove the dark cloud he saw over us). Lea says, “Peter Wagner came to me about 8 months ago he said, Larry God told me about 5 years ago that 300,000 thousand intercessors, 300,000 prayers, that was the proper number to pull down the strongholds, he said I was just praying that God would give somebody the courage enough to get on the cutting edge enough to be willing to be criticized enough to go ahead and tell everybody that’s what god would say. He said it took somebody like you!” Wagner’s endorsement of God would raise up 300,000 to be leaders in (AKA “Joel’s Army”) an “authority structure” would be put into place to oversee the end-time church by his prophets. This shows that Wagner was far into the Latter Rain teaching long before the NAR was formed. The cost to join Larry Lea's spiritual elite spiritual warfare army of 300,000 was $100, (a good deal back then compared to today). I watched as he instructed them to pull out their (imaginary) swords (this is on video tape on file) and slash the enemy to bind him by swinging their swords in the air. Clearly this is not how instructed us to do warfare. This was imaginary attack as they slashed the Devil. In the bible it was Peter who pulled out his sword to protect Jesus when he was being arrested and slashed off the ear of the servant of the high Priest. Not too good an aim for a carnal battle. Jesus replied,” all those who live by the sword will die by the sword” (Mt.26:52). We can't use fleshly methods to win spiritual battles. He then tells people further of his vision he is being instructed by “seeing 300,000 intercessors with their hands lifted up worshiping, literally with their fingers poking holes in the darkness. Lea prophesied every person who stays with him will be made into a victorious warrior for God. That we were made for war and should like it. We are not made for war, we are made for peace; the meek will inherit the earth. Dr. Larry Lea now partners with Mike Bickle whose part of the NAR and runs IHOP. Lea’s official title is Apostolic Prayer Adviser. So if you want an unbiblical model for you Christianity you can join them and see what takes place. Bickle’s error will not tickle. This took place at the National School of the Prophets, Peter Wagners group of apostles and prophets. Cindy Jacobs asks Mike Bickle to share: “In Daniel 7:10, the fiery stream, or the river of fire that breaks fourth out of the throne of God, I believe is the person of the Holy Spirit. And when the fire comes forth, the fire is not just judgment. The fire is the revelation of the burning desire of God's heart for people. Now, with that burning desire, when rebellion rises up against it, the fire removes that which hinders love, and we call it judgment. But the fire breaks forth. His name is the Holy Spirit, and when this fire comes through history, Malachi 3 says, “The forerunners at the end of the age are going to loose the burning fire.” The spirit of burning is the manifestation through the House of God in prayer, of this river of fire called the Holy Spirit. And this thing broke out in the early church in the upper room in Acts chapter two. The river of fire broke in upon them in Acts 2. Tongues of fire baptizing them afresh. It's the anointing of the forerunner's spirit, and the thing ends in Revelation chapter 15. On the sea of glass, worshiping God, mingled in flaming fire with the harps of God in our hands. The church, the bride of Christ, that got a down payment in Acts 2, a room of a hundred and twenty with fire, is going to end up with these thousands and thousands and thousands, Revelation 15, verse 2 and 3, mingled with the same fire of Acts 2, the river of God, the Holy Spirit, clothing us with fire, bringing us into that kind of union, that intimate bridal partnership that we call intercessory worship. Amen.” Not only do we see some outside the bible interpretations for the experiences they have today but we have Bickle associating with Latter Rain adherents in an organization of Peter Wagner which began promoting the this type of Christianity (3rd wave to its adherents). Bickle teaching “on the fiery stream, or the river of fire that breaks fourth out of the throne of God, …Malachi 3 says, "The forerunners at the end of the age are going to loose the burning fire." This fiery stream according to the bible is taking place in heaven just before the kingdom is delivered to the Son. As the Ancient of Days was seated; v.10 A “fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened.” Which could well be what 1 Cor.13:3 is describing our works tested by fire. Bickle goes on to say ‘This river of fire broke in upon them in Acts 2. Tongues of fire baptizing them afresh.” Cindy Jacobs speaking again: “Hallelujah! The Holy Spirit is fire and where does He abide? In here. That we begin to decree and declare what's going to happen. There's gonna be a fiery issue out of our mouths. The fire of God. The glory of fire, the Holy Fire, whatever you want to call it. The fire of the living God that came in us at Pentecost, you see, we just didn't receive tongues, we received fire at Pentecost. And the fire of the Holy Spirit is coming. And it's going to issue out from us into the nations of the earth” “Lord, we declare the fire that is released, the fire, the Michael force of angels is going in, come down, we cry out.” “We speak of fire, We release it and we declare it.” “Come on, speak the fire of God right now. Right now. Right now. Just receive it.” (Mobilizing the Prophetic Office."- 7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 11th, 2000, #6.) Amazingly she is saying the same thing that the I AM society of ascended masters say about the fire and angels; and you will get the same occult results Bickle: “Speaking of John the Baptist He is the model of the forerunner ministry that will emerge worldwide.. Forerunners across the earth today: You want to be trained - there was a down payment, there was a token, there was model given to us, because I know that’s my primary calling in life, …i just know that there’s different applications of that spirit of Elijah-that anointing of Elijah." “I believe the 24 hour a day House of prayer in the spirit and the tabernacle of David is the greenhouse in which the forerunner ministries will be nurtured and they will grow This is what was said in Azusa which began the Latter Rain and was further developed by Branaham where the Modern prophetic movement of healings and miracles was birthed. All of this tied together in a nice bundle for those unaware of the past history in the church. “there is a new paradigm of God - a new way to view God that’s going to explode across planet earth” What is it? “Two subjects must become centerstage in our thinking: the Beauty of God and the Desire, the passion of Gods heart. He is transcendent inexhaustible beauty is going to become center stage. Not only his beauty, his burning desire- his feelings” “In the very being of God, of which I don’t like to talk with a lot of boldness because of my angel who's right here thinking "he thinks he understands what God's like". I say with a little bit-a lot of caution that within the being of God there is such indescribable infinite, self-replenishing desire He is the fountainhead of desire and pleasure Himself. Our God's Our God is filled with pleasure. He is Delight Himself..." Here Bickle mentions a personal angel beside him Just like Branham mentioned of himself. Bickle: "...the human Messiah, Jesus will be manifest globally in His indescribable beauty. The subject at the end of the age will be the subject of beauty.” (Ed. Note sounds like what Benny Hinn said of Jesus appearing) “I believe what Moses and the apostles did is gonna be combined and multiplied on a global level and it will be common to see the stadiums of the earth filled and a billion people coming to the Lord within an unprecedented display of power” Once again a Latter Rain prophecy(that they though later was fulfilled by Todd Bentley at Lakeland) which was from Paul Cain who was the head prophet over him and others when the Kansas city prophets came into the Vineyard church. “…how is the planet earth going to interpret and handle and process the issue of a God who claims to be loving but He's killing people worldwide. The devil kills people but let me tell you something that might be stunning, the Lamb, God Jesus is going to kill millions of human beings ...So the world says "Your God loves, why does He do this?" The answer is the church. Well, there’s a problem. The front end of this, the church, will be offended. They'll be angry.” Here again we find the Joel’s army concept of the Latter Rain. I say 'Listen guys, laughing and falling - that's not a big deal. Fire, blood, and smoke are coming to the meetings. Don’t worry about the falling and laughing thing I don’t-and there’s division everywhere, -No, no,no He did Genesis 1 ok? The God we - the Man we worship has Genesis 1 on His resume. I said 'The renewal - again, a few groups did a little this and that, so what? So what? It is nothing compared to Acts 2:19. Blood, fire, and smoke are going to appear in the meetings.' Well, who's blood? Don't clap yet. Talk to Ananias and Saphira, they might have an opinion. He's the King. We're not ready for an invasive Bridegroom that's going to jealously bring forth the fullness of all we are even in this age to Him in total obedience..." There is a work of Satan that we must stop and its in the earth, and, beloved, the prayer houses better get burning to stop it because we are to stop the work of Satan. But the work of Satan and the work of the Lamb loosing His judgments, ,..a lot of people are gonna get together and bind Jesus, at least they’re a gonna try to. Jesus says "I’m the one loosing the judgments. you can’t bind Me!" I don’t know. We’ll sort this out. The Lord will help us in the next ten years, how to do all that: I know this, in Rev. 8:1-6, when the prayer furnaces burn on the earth, when this global prayer movement explodes, its gonna loose the judgments not stop them” "There judgments are coming and they are in our midst even now a 1ittle bit. We have to stop Satan's rage. We have to cooperate-see its not only that we endure His judgments, we loose them in bridal partnership. … the judgment message belongs, like John the Baptist in a bridegroom paradigm and revelation of God. when the judgment message gets too far removed from the bridal paradigm of the kingdom, the judgment message becomes easily a personal; vendetta and venting of our frustration. I'm not really complaining about that today in the year 2000 because no ones preaching on judgment but I say, God, even some bad judgment preaching would be better than what’s happening now..." Bickle sounds like man so confused on so many topics the Bible speaks of, he has no idea what his interpretation means or when it takes place. The only Judgment coming is from God himself and it is reserved for the Tribulation period. We so not loose the judgments by prayer Bickle calls his prophetess singer to come and sing. "Raging beauty, no longer withhold," repeated as crowd begins to "enter in". loud cries are heard, as forerunners are called forward "Mike cries" Reveal your mercy! Loose Your judgments! Raise up the intercessors, lovesick intercessors!!" Song: Raging Beauty, How long will you withhold? Causing us to wander in the shadows ...0 let revelation come, our eyes behold, revelation songs unfold, open up, open up, open up, open up the door of revelation..." …I’m gonna ask the spirit of burning from Isaiah 4:4.The spirit of burning is the communication of His beauty and His desire to the human spirit. The spirit of burning broke in on the early church in Acts 2 (screaming starts) ...Loose then spirit of burning! Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire! Lord! See 1 my heart! "Singer: O the burning (National School of the Prophets: Mike Bickle #000512011A Friday May 12, 2000 #9) This is the Bridegroom revelation of Bickle and this is what his IHOP venture is teaching the young adults.
IHOP Mike Bickle incorporates his “prophetic vision” in IHOP The International House of Prayer (IHOP) is known for its 24/7 worship and prayer ministry. In their official description: This House of Prayer for All Nations ministry includes continuous praise and prayer dethroning the principalities and power over a region declaring Gods sovereignty. This is in the spirit of Revelation 4-5 “Harp & Bowl” worship and warfare prayer gatherings, the harp representing praise and the bowl representing the prayers of the saints which is at the heart of David’s Tabernacle." So this is where Larry Leas spiritual warfare is incorporated. Bickle’s "Harp and Bowl" vision? Orell Stienkamp writes “Today Mike Bickle is the executive director of the multiple ministries of IHOP and senior pastor of Forerunner Christian Fellowship. IHOP is a 24/7 worship and warfare prayer ministry to be sure. But it has ballooned into much more than that. This ministry is sourced from a Bob Jones prophecy and is modeled after the "Tabernacle of David" teaching, with singers and musicians being "released" to lead corporate intercession and worship 24/7 (ongoing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). IHOP boasts over four hundred fulltime staff that identify themselves as "Intercessory Missionaries." "They believe that this model is the most effective context to train and send forth others who will 'plant' a House of Prayer in other cities. Their prayer goal is to see a 24 hour a day, citywide, House of Prayer (in the spirit of the Tabernacle of David) established in every major city of the earth before the Lord's return" (Revival Times website.) The Harp and Bowl is based on the "Tabernacle of David." "David built a tent, a physical place were Gods glory dwelt and were [sic] people could go to meet with God ... Solomon erected an actual temple building in the pattern of his father David’s tabernacle and on two occasions, the Weight of the Glory of God filled the temple as the priests ministered in prayer, praise and prophecy...This is what Gods [sic] is asking us to do today. ... We along with all of creation are longing for the unveiling of Gods power as God waits in heaven for the bowl of the prayers of the saints to be filled up so He can show His power. Prayer is directly related to the release of Gods power in scripture." (ibid) Let’s address the Old Testament concept he is delivering. We are not still waiting for that event to take place. This scripture is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. We are now the temple, we the church, the body of Christ have his presence individually and corporately. What he is referring to is directly related to the seals being opened, judgement. Rev. 5:7-9 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals” Revival Times --“Psalm 132 states that David could not rest until a dwelling place was established. Isaiah 62:6 states, we are to give God no rest until Jerusalem becomes a praise in the earth. Jesus told us to watch and wait day and night until he comes. We are to establish continual prayer vigils: watching, warring and waiting. There will be no rest until God truly has a dwelling place and our Jerusalem becomes a praise on the earth, Acts 1:8. The Tabernacle of David is being used as a symbol of God Manifesting his Presence on earth. According to this teaching. They base this on a verse taken out of context: Acts 15:16-17 "After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things." The original prophecy that is quoted is found in Amos 9:8-15 and when read in context is about the restoration of the Remnant of Israel given their land. Notice that it says " I will return.” It is Jesus coming to restore the glory to Israel. The words "We along with all of creation are longing for the unveiling of Gods power as God waits in heaven for the bowl of the prayers of the saints to be filled up so He can show His power” This apparently references the "manifestation of the sons of God" mentioned in Rom 8:19-23: “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.” The Manifestation of the Sons of God is a teaching from the Latter Rain teachings, certain believers are glorified, transformed to perfection and judge the earth. (Other versions have this event as a progression into spiritual perfection and holiness in the endtimes.) Notice the timing of this "manifestation of the sons of God" takes place at the same time as the "redemption of our bodies" and that will not take place until the Resurrection. (Rev 20:6/John 6:40) The Harp and Bowl vision is to copy the "blueprint" of the OT Tabernacle in order to return to the experience of David - kingship, rulership, priestly dominion with its heavenly glory! “The Lord has given us a heavenly blueprint to enable us to tap into the throne room of God. ....When David established his tabernacle to God he re-instituted the Melchizedeck priestly, kingly anointing. Melchizedeck was a King and Priest; David was a King and a Priest... Scripture declares all Christians to be Kings and Priests. Jesus restored the Melchizedeck priesthood and kingship combined into one office and thus we as the Body of Christ are vessels of restoration for the Melchizedeck Priesthood. (Ibid.) This "priesthood" is seen as dominion and rulership, as the Government of God is established on the earth. How is it to be achieved? By non-stop worship, music and intercession. We are kings and priests is what Peter Wagner has taught. We are not kings or priests until Jesus returns. And there is only one Mechizedic priest. “In the House of Prayer worship releases the kingly spiritual authority to go out and demonstrate the power of Christ. We as New Testament Christian function in our kingly role through ministering in our priestly anointing of prayer, intercession, praise and prophecy. If we are to have global revival and awakening we need to have a restoration of 24 hour praise and intercession all over the world, Its time that the fulfillment of the prophecies of Old to become reality. It is time that we fulfill the word of God and obey the commands of Jesus, to make it an occupation of occupying the enemies camp, “to occupy until He comes.” ...The church is to be the vessel, the temple through which Gods beauty, glory and power manifest in the earth today.” (ibid) Where does the Scripture require this for any revival much less a global revival? Maybe you don’t catch the underlying meaning, Bickle has this 24 hour exclusive prayer and worship, therefore we need his model or join his movement. Mike Bickle states” “We're not absent for the great tribulation, now listen carefully, the church causes the great tribulation. What I mean by that – it's the church, it's the praying church under Jesus' leadership that's loosing the judgment in the great tribulation in the way that Moses stretched forth his rod and prayed and loosed the judgments upon Pharaoh. The church in the tribulation is in the position that Moses was before Pharaoh but it won't be a Pharaoh and Egypt, it'll be the great end time Pharaoh called the antichrist and the book of Revelation is a book about the judgments of God on the antichrist loosed by the praying church” (“Mike Bickle and International House of Prayer,” Critical Issues Commentary, Jul.-Aug. 2008). According to Bickle’s warfare model the end-time church that prepares the way for Christ. By worship and warfare we battle the Antichrist, Satan, as a Joel’s army. Deliver the judgments of the Tribulation through prayer and worship. As in the basic model of the Latter Rain evil is cleansed from the earth through the empowered miracle working church.
Pt.3 Today's IHOP
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