What is one warning sign of a cult? Well, I think the most obvious is when a person is kept away from their loved-ones and all forms of communication are severed. That’s the most familiar one we all know about.
I want to call your attention to a blog called Sadparent’s Weblog. This lady is suffering through a very hurtful event in her life. Apparently, her son attends Mike Bickle’s International House of Prayer (IHOP), and as a result, he has been advised to break communication with his mother for at least a year. This is what Sadparent says:
I’ve lost a son to a thing called IHOP – he told me that “older and wiser council” had met with him. It was, therefore, his decision (after meeting with this ‘older and wiser council’) that he and I should have ZERO communication for “one year..at least”.
That’s the beginning of a great novel in the making. It’s also the sad, sad truth behind the last 2 years and 3 months of my life. The International House of “Prayer” (and unaccredited university) has been the catalyst in tearing a once loving relationship between mother and son in half. But that’s not what’s caused me to go into such deep mourning. (Online Source)
All the markers are there. The warning signs are beaming in all their brilliant resilience… and so many still can’t see them. This goes to show you truly can’t see when you’re blind.
Would Mike Bickle be ready to admit that his “church” is a cult? Highly doubtful! I can’t read his mind, but his behavior of days past has shown me that Bickle isn’t always as blind to his behavior as some might think. Bickle’s whole church has been built on the prophecies of Bob Jones and Paul Cain, both of which have been discredited as false and dangerous. (For more on Cain and Jones, please click here.) Bickle’s behavior has a mafia-like feel to it, and may have gone unchecked were it not for a report written by Pastor Ernie Gruen. Now, I want to give out a disclaimer by saying that I do not agree with all of Pastor Gruen’s views on doctrine, nor do I endorse the man himself, however, his personal report is shocking and needs to be read by anyone and everyone who is considering attending IHOP. Therefore, I am posting it based solely upon the merit of the documented abuses, excesses, and false doctrines it contains. You can access that by clicking here. As I just stated, this report relays eye-witness and first-hand accounts of abuses from Mike Bickle and leadership such as Bickle and his church strongarming other churches so his church can dissolve them, false prophecies and the damage it has caused, and many other things. It’s quite a compelling read. Quite the eye opener if your eyes aren’t opened already. This report will tell you all you need to know about Mike Bickle, Paul Cain, Bob Jones, and all things that eventually led to the birthing of IHOP.
After the document written by Gruen was released, it was so damaging that Bickle and crew circulated the lie that Gruen had issued a city-wide apology which said he was not only deceived, but was a deceiver himself. That shows the fruits of Bickle and company. Gruen had moral failings and never denied such as far as I know, but he vehemently denied that he had ever retracted his report and stood by it until his death. In fact, the report had so much verifiable documentation, it was hard for Bickle to wiggle out of it. What else could they do but discredit the messenger?
For further information about Pastor Ernie Gruen, please click here and read a post called, “The Vindication of E. Gruen.” This is just a small snippet:
So it has been confirmed by the original source that the Infamous Ernie Gruen Report was never apologized for. And that whoever is keeping up Mike Bickle’s wikipedia page is either lying, or was lied to. There is no city-wide letter that Ernie Gruen wrote apologizing for the letter. None has ever turned up to substantiate the claim.
I.H.O.P is guilty until proven innocent.
To SadParent I want to say, please hang in there. Our thoughts are with you.
