Photo courtesy Apprising Ministries
In a piece I wrote titled The Prosperity Preacher and the Pied Piper of IHOP I warned the Body of Christ that it had become evident that popular preacher Francis Chan had started moving away from Christian orthodoxy and offered proof of this. One thing I found problematic was that Chan chose to unite with and sing praises to IHOP Kansas City’s Pied Piper, Mike Bickle. Bickle is not only a false teacher, some people say he’s a cult leader. It’s common knowledge that several years ago Mike Bickle was in cahoots with a heretical group known as the Kansas City Prophets. According to the late Ken Silva, the KCP “brought grandiose claims that a ‘new breed’ of super prophets were beginning to arrive on planet earth who would change the world forever. These so-called prophets were a group of men that coalesced around a church known as the Kansas City Fellowship, pastored by Mike Bickle, that attracted a following of other likeminded churches in that region.”
As I said, that Mike Bickle is a false teacher is common knowledge. In 2015 it became apparent that Francis Chan had agreed to a return engagement at IHOP, which prompted me to write a follow-up piece entitled Reformed Pastor to Speak at IHOP Cult — Again. This time my main focus was Francis Chan. Following is an excerpt:
It’s important to note that last year Reformed pastor; author; conference speaker Francis Chan spoke at Onething where he declared “I love Mike Bickle.” Chan took a lot of heat for agreeing to speak at the conference. When friends and fans urged him to decline the invite, he admitted that he didn’t know much about Mike Bickle and IHOP so,
I kinda went on the Internet and started looking things up.
Whatever he found caused him to fall in love:
I go, man, there’s a lot of great things going on [at IHOP]. And today was the first time I ever met Mike Bickle. And, I love that guy. I do. And Mike knows – we talked about this – you know, there’s people who told me not to hang out with him.
Like, you know, words like “creepy” came up. And yet, I get to know this guy and I’m going, “Man, I love his heart. And I just want to publicly say I love Mike Bickle. (Source)
As you can see, Chan professed his love for the sort of person Jesus referred to as a ravenous wolf. (Mat. 7:15)
What Francis Chan failed to turn up in his investigation is that Mike Bickle has led countless young people astray. He’s a sort of a Pied Piper to those who journey to Kansas City from all over the globe to be a part of something “significant.” Once there, they stay for days, months…even years. You’ll find them in the prayer room praying. Prayer “led from a stage full of musicians and readers chanting repetitive phrasings of faith” goes on ’round the clock.
The false prophet has filled the young sojourners’ heads with untruths such as “an elite end-time church defeats God’s enemies, and Jesus is ‘held in the heavens’ until it happens.” So they must “go forth and make ready.”
Two months have passed since the OneThing 2015 event in Kansas City, MO. Now John Lanagan of My Word Like Fire has written about his concerns with the direction Francis Chan has gone in — concerns I haven’t touched on.
Francis Chan’s Spiritual Blindness
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods in order to spite Me. (Jeremiah 7:18)
“Let us, then, pass through the Holy Door of Mercy knowing that at our side is the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Mother of God, who intercedes for us.” — Pope Francis [1]
Those who yearn for spiritual unity with the Catholics are foolish, wicked, arrogant or deceived. Why are people like Mike Bickle,Francis Chan, Beth Moore, and others so eager to expose Christians to this false system?
This is not about disparaging the people who are Catholic, who are simply following what they have been taught. Catholics are our friends, neighbors, even relatives. They are by and large just average, everyday citizens, just like you and me.
That being said, there is a vast difference between Roman Catholicism and biblical Christianity. Those Catholics who are truly saved are saved in spite of Catholic teaching, not because of it. And even then, the question must be asked, if a Catholic is saved, and the Holy Spirit resides within, would this not result in a departure from Catholicism? (2 Corinthians 6:14-17)
Francis Chan was apparently not concerned with this as he effusively praised Matt Maher and Audrey Assad, Catholic musicians who led the worship team during Chan’s session at IHOP-KC’s Onething 2015 conference.
As transcribed in Francis Chan: I just gotta say, man, I still love Mike Bickle, there is also a lot of love and acceptance from Chan for Catholic musicians Matt Maher and Audrey Assad.
Chan stated, “Man, I see in Matt, I see in Audrey this love for Jesus, the Spirit of God, and I see in them a stance for righteousness, what’s right according to God’s Word.” (15:55 in video)
Several times he acknowledged theological differences. “I love what God is doing here and I understand there’s differences and I don’t know how to get through some of those. I just know I have to.” (16:50 in video)
No, Francis, you don’t have to. (Galatians 1:8-9)
According to Chan, “And I think it’s time for us to get beyond, okay, I’ll sing with them, okay, I’ll worship with them, y’know, okay, I’ll admit that they’re Christians, and go to a biblical stance which says I can’t live without them. I need them. They’re indispensable.” (17:29 in video)
That is a shocking call for unity. Chan is spiritually blind, always a dangerous impediment for a man with so much influence.
Ironically, warning about the tough times to come, Chan said he was worried about how many Christians were casual about some of God’s commands. He read from 2 Timothy 3:
But realize this, in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power. Avoid such men as these. (2 Tim 3:1-5)
Although by now he had validated both Mike Bickle and Catholicism, Chan claimed:
See, I’m not giving a talk that’s saying, oh, we should love everyone no matter what they believe, no matter how they live or whatever else. No, there’s a time for disassociating with people. And Paul says it to Timothy right there. (19:25 in video)
But Francis Chan is doing the opposite of Paul’s command to Timothy. He is not urging disassociation. He is encouraging biblical Christians that they can drink from the same spiritual cup as the Catholics. We cannot, at least not if we want to obey the Word of God.
[The link to Part One is right here]
RED FLAG SECTION:
Some years ago Francis Chan prevented former Catholic Mike Gendron from finishing his presentation about Catholicism (Q and A), even though Chan was the one who invited Gendron to speak at his church.
Notes:
1. Catholic News Agency, Pope Francis: Mary is the ‘mother of forgiveness,’ 1/1/16
Source: My Word Like Fire
Republished with permission
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There is one common thread to all these ‘prosperity preachers’ and that is, they have almost no spiritual discernment. Their philosophy is…If the people will buy it, sell it. We are in a far worse spiritual condition in America than most people know, and sadly, very few of them care. Apostasy is rampant.
Interestingly, Chan is now questioning his position regarding the eternalness of Hell, and is hinting that the lost might be annihilated!.
Can you give me a reference for this? I find it interesting considering he wrote a book against annihilationism. Let me know. Thanks!
I am just curious, as your article doesn’t state it specifically, what evidence can you point to that Mike Bickle is a false prophet?
Links were provided with evidence.
Funny how the video doesn’t work, I would advise you to try and contact Francis Chan and actually talk with him rather than gossiping about him on the internet. Hear our his heart and vision before you go casting hasty judgements my friend!
Wow have you ever listened to the to the music or preaching that focuses on God’s love coming out of the heart of Mike and the ministry. There is no person who searches the unsearchable God that does not have some twists and turns. I have listened to Mike and IHOP preaching for 30 years and 1 consistent theme is the love of God and most places I have been the focus is on man.
I’m really shocked that someone in the body of Christ would rail accusations against Christian brothers without talking to them or even trying to get to know them first. I have been listening to Mike Bickle for 30 years and he has never preached prosperity. He himself lives on very little, lives in a duplex, drives an old car and gives thousands of dollars away. He’s never preached that an elite church defeats Gods enemies and Jesus is held in heaven. You really need to get your facts straight before you speak against anyone. There are a few disgruntled people who have been to IHOP and gotten their feeling hurt who have spoken up against him. I’ve attended a 3 month intern and saw a lot. Most of it really good but as with most ministries (including yours) there is room for improvement. No one is perfect but the things you’ve accused Mike of are not true and it’s slander. Please seek the Lord on this matter.