If you are considering commenting or sending me an e-mail objecting to the fact that I warn against certain teachers, please click here and read this article first. Your objection is most likely answered here. I won’t be publishing comments or answering emails that are answered by this article.
This article is kept continuously updated as needed.
This article is what I call a “clearinghouse article”. It is a collection of articles written by others on the teacher, ministry, or unbiblical trend named below. Either I have not had the time to write a full blown article on it myself, or I felt that the articles listed did a fine job of explaining the biblical issues and there was no need to reinvent the wheel.
Disclaimer: I did not write most of the articles below, and I am not thoroughly familiar with all of the websites used in my clearinghouse articles. I do not endorse anything on these sites that deviates from Scripture or conflicts with my beliefs as outlined in the “Welcome” or “Statement of Faith” tabs in the blue menu bar at the top of this page.
Here are the biblical criteria I use when deciding whether or not to recommend a teacher, ministry, etc.:
Generally speaking, in order for me to recommend a teacher, speaker, author, or ministry, he/she/it has to meet three criteria:
a) A female teacher cannot currently and unrepentantly preach to or teach men in violation of 1 Timothy 2:12. A male teacher or pastor cannot allow women to carry out this violation of Scripture in his ministry. The pastor or teacher cannot currently and unrepentantly be living in any other sin (for example, cohabiting with her boyfriend or living as a homosexual).
b) The pastor or teacher cannot currently and unrepentantly be partnering with or frequently appearing with false teachers. This is a violation of Scripture.
c) The pastor, teacher, or ministry cannot currently and unrepentantly be teaching false doctrine.
I recommend against any teacher or ministry who violates one or more of these biblical tenets.
If you’d like to check out some pastors and teachers I heartily recommend, click the Recommended Bible Teachers tab at the top of this page.
The International House of Prayer (IHOP)/Mike Bickle
Not Recommended
Primary issues with IHOP: Heresy (New Apostolic Reformation – NAR), false teachers/heretics, women “pastors”/preachers
From my article God’s Not Like “Whatever, Dude,” About The Way He’s Approached in Worship:…
Bethel “Church” in Redding, California, and IHOP are, functionally, ground zero for the New Apostolic Reformation heresy. Heresy. Not, “They just have a more expressive, contemporary style of worship,”. Not, “It’s a secondary theological issue we can agree to disagree on.” Heresy. Denial of the deity of Christ. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Demonstrably false prophecy that the head of IHOP, Mike Bickle, has publicly rejoiced in (He estimates that 80% of IHOP’s “prophecies” are false.) And that’s just the tip of our metaphorical ice berg when it comes to the NAR.
IHOP and Bethel are, by biblical definition, not Christian organizations and certainly not Christian churches. They are pagan centers of idol worship just as much as the Old Testament temples of Baal were. The only difference is that, instead of being creative and coming up with their own name for their god, they’ve stolen the name Jesus and blasphemously baptized their idol with that moniker.
New Apostolic Reformation
New Apostolic Reformation articles
The Mailbag: What is the New Apostolic Reformation?
The Mailbag: Should Christians listen to “Reckless Love”? (Contains videos and discussion of blasphemous NAR practices and beliefs)
Articles by Unbelievers
(May contain profanity)
Love and Death In the House of Prayer at Rolling Stone
Theological Issues
What is the International House of Prayer (IHOP)? at Got Questions
The International House of Prayer (IHOP) at CARM
What is the International House of Prayer? at WWUTT
IHOP is DANGEROUS! Stephanie’s testimony by Stephanie (former IHOP intern)
Collections of Articles
The Mike Bickle and IHOP Cornucopia of False Teaching, Bridal Weirdness and 24/7 Confusion at Messed Up Church
IHOP articles at Berean Research
IHOP episodes at Fighting for the Faith
Mike Bickle episodes at Fighting for the Faith
Michelle Lesley 
Michelle I so appreciate you posting about the false ministers. I know Jesus talked about many false prophets appearing before his return and your research and views I greatly admire. I just want to thank you as this is very important information to me.
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Thanks for your kind words,Marilyn. It is my pleasure to serve you in Christ. :0)
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Are you also including Mike Bickle as a false prophet? Because he is not. He preaches God’s Biblical Truth.
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Yes, that’s correct. As the article clearly states, he espouses New Apostolic Reformation heresy, not the biblical gospel. Therefore, according to Galatians 1:6-9, he is damned and is a heretic.
I urge you to repent of your sin and false beliefs and believe the true gospel of Scripture. Putting your faith in what Mike Bickle (and those like him) teaches will not save you and will lead you to an eternity in hell.
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He preaches the Bible, not false doctrine. I suggest you examine the motives of your heart in damning people to hell who don’t believe as you do. My heart is right with Jesus, and it He who led me to Bickle’s teachings.
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I’m sorry, but according to the Bible (not me – I don’t have the power to damn anyone) you’re wrong. Jesus does not lead people to teachers who teach lies and deception like Bickle does. And if you unrepentantly cling to his lies and deception after being warned that what he’s teaching is anti-biblical, you are proving the truth of John 10 and Matthew 7:15-23: that you do not know Christ and, more importantly, Christ does not know you. Scripture is clear: people who are truly Believers will not follow heretics.
I know what the motive of my heart is. The motive of my heart in telling you these things is that you might repent and believe the truth of the gospel so you won’t spend your life thinking you’re on your way to Heaven and then end up in Hell. I’m not trying to hurt your feelings or be ugly to you in any way. I’m trying to provide Scripture to you that will open your eyes and wake you up to the condition of your soul because I don’t want to see you or anyone else spend an eternity in Hell. That’s my motivation.
It’s no accident that you somehow “stumbled across” my site. The Holy Spirit led you here so you could hear the truth. Please don’t reject it. I plead with you, repent and believe the gospel today!
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I will be going to Heaven because I’ve accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. My feelings aren’t hurt, I just find your blog to be based off opinion not truth. The Holy Spirit has me “stumble” across your page to say the things I’ve said. There are many false teachers in the world, and Bickle isn’t one of them.
Perhaps you should consider the story of David and Saul, and how David treated Saul, even when the man was persecuted by him.
I have nothing to repent of where my beliefs are concerned because I believe everything word in the Bible and am confident in what God has shown me.
Again, examine your heart, because having a blog “exposing false teachers” is not a Godly thing to do. Bickle being included by you is a prime example. Follow the Truth of God’s Word, not what you’ve been taught.
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Interesting that I’m supposedly the one “based off opinion not truth” when I’m the only one of the two of us who has backed up what she’s saying with Scripture.
It saddens me that your heart is hardened toward Christ and His Word, but it’s clear that’s the choice you have made for now. I’m taking a moment to pray for you, that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to the truth and lead you to repentance and true faith in Christ. If He does that and you need any help or have any questions, you’re welcome to come back and ask. But, until then, I’m going to close out this conversation so there will be no further sullying of the name of Christ.
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Mike Bickle has been teaching occultism for 45 years! He claims to have been taken up to the throne of God! His blessing of heretics Bill Johnson, Bob Jones, and Rick Joyner is beyond disturbing. RUN from the demonic Charismatic church!
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Ask and it shall be given. thanks for being forthright and straight forward. Its not easy to go against the tide of “godly men”. If they repent, its another story, but a changed one. One just has to read of David, Solomon, and the likes.
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Reblogged this on Fashionable Fossil and commented:
I am posting this today, as a reblog from Michelle Lesley, since I’ve learned that IHOP and Mike Bickel (a whole slew of speakers in the NAR movement) will be holding a mega event at Arrowhead Stadium in KC this Saturday. They approached my daughter, and I told her to steer clear of such false doctrine.
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