#7 “Theologically Articulate” Deception
Why did I discount every mention that IHOPKC might be a "cult?"
What is Deception?
Deception. What is it? How does it work? How could thousands of godly believers, including many with keen spiritual discernment, have experienced it from a reputable ministry and from a leader with such profound Biblical theology?
"If the enemy of our souls can appear as an angel of light,
then surely an evil human being, who is in fact mimicking him,
can appear as a well-clothed,
theologically articulate, and beautiful human being."
This is a quote from Diane Langberg, a Christian psychologist who has studied the issue of abuse and deception in the Church extensively. I highly recommend listening to this session given by her at the Restore Conference in 2022: "Understanding Abuse of Power in the Church."
Her teaching remarkably illustrates the IHOPKC crisis more than a year before it became public. The “theologically articulate” quote begins at 25 minutes:
Diane Langberg: Understanding Abuse of Power in the Church
Abuse has become epidemic in the church—and so has cover-up. But what causes abuse in the church? And how can we stop it?Author, psychologist, and trauma exp...
Was IHOPKC a Cult?
As I continue to process the devastation of an international ministry and a community I considered family, I am faced with many questions. One is this: Why did I discount every mention that IHOPKC might be a "cult?" Where do I even begin?
First of all, I was there. The International House of Prayer in Kansas City was definitely NOT a cult. Well, that's what we all believed. "If people accusing this place of being a cult could just experience it for themselves, they'd know," was what I always thought. There was so much good fruit. Individuals fell in love with Jesus. We studied His word and prayed. We learned to love God with our entire beings (heart, soul, mind, and strength) by giving Him the best of every aspect of our lifestyle: affections, abilities, thoughts, actions, resources, etc. People were free to come and go. There weren't any weird rules about never leaving or associating with people outside of the missions base. On the contrary, IHOPKC was inclusive. So many Christian streams flowed into and out from this world-wide prayer hub. We partnered with other ministries like "Youth With A Mission." The term "international family of affection" was coined to describe this rich network of believers connected around the globe. It was somewhat of a transient community, but there were the faithful ones. They had been there from the beginning. I was nearly one of them, having come to attend a Fire in the Night internship in 2003. This was just a few years after 24/7 prayer began in that old “trailer” building. During my two decades of involvement with IHOPKC, I connected with some of the godliest, most respectable individuals and families I have ever known. How could it have possibly been a cult?
Never once did I consider the narrative that kept people bound to this ministry. Rules were not made to keep people from leaving, but storylines were. The gist of them: "If you left, you'd miss out." God was doing something so unique in this place. We were on the frontlines. We were preparing the way for the Lord's return. We were the tip of the spear. Whether these words were articulated directly or not is irrelevant. It was a common belief that being an integral part of what God was doing “in this hour” included involvement in some capacity with IHOPKC. Key leaders often departed without explanation. If anything negative was ever said by a former leader or staff member, the picture was typically painted of that person being bitter or offended.
At one point, I remember feeling trapped. There seemed to be no way forward in life. I had left my full-time occupation as a graphic designer to pursue missions. Soon after, at Mike Bickle’s invitation, I left my pursuit of becoming a full-time missionary with YWAM in order to join IHOPKC staff. The longer I stayed, the longer I remained single and less likely to get married since no one seemed to be dating in those days. We prayed for godly marriages to be formed, but how could that happen when there was such a focus on the higher calling of celibacy and single-hearted devotion to Jesus? Sadly, I never seemed to "fit" as an "intercessory missionary." For years, I had worked diligently to improve my skills as a singer but was never quite good enough.
Seven years of being on staff without full funding had sunk me back into the debt I had already paid off after college. By this point finding a graphic design position was no longer an option. My degree had become a decade outdated. The Multimedia industry had usurped all of my print design expertise. Finally, I rejoined the workforce as a file clerk through a temporary staffing agency. Some friends at a different church pointed me to a singles small group where I met my husband. Still, leaving IHOPKC seemed like defeat.
Fast forward through our year of courtship, wedding, and first pregnancy. I returned to my former community through its newly formed mom’s groups. Years later, my family and I joined the Church expression of IHOPKC, Forerunner Church. Now, nearly a year and a half after the initial allegations against Mike Bickle were released, I am only beginning to unravel threads from the illusion I lived in for twenty years.
How Does Deception Work?
Deception is insidious. If it were obvious, no one would ever believe it. It happens subtly, gradually, and innocently. The deceiver creates a false impression of reality. With so much truth woven into a tapestry of falsehood, it becomes impossible to distinguish what is real and what is not.
Spoiler alert!
I draw all kinds of parallels from movies, so if you haven't seen "Spider Man, Far From Home," watch it first (rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, some language and brief suggestive comments).
A few quotes from it resonate with the IHOPKC crisis:
"It's easy to fool people when they're already fooling themselves."
"People need to believe. And nowadays, they'll believe anything."
"I've face a lot of deception, and I'm tired of the lies.
So it's time for the truth to be out there..."
Throughout the first part of the movie, Quinten Beck portrays himself as a mysterious super-hero. This beloved character called “Mysterio” helps Spider-Man defeat four destructive elemental monsters. Peter Parker is so convinced of Mysterio's goodness that he gives Mysterio more power by relinquishing the augmented reality security, defense and artificial tactical intelligence system called E.D.I.T.H. to this deceiver. Ironically, even this seemingly innocent act had been manipulated so that Peter thought it was his own idea. What a compelling demonstration of how deception can convince a person to act on their own will! This shows the impact of power differential. Someone who is perceived as a wise, seasoned hero, has a tremendous influence on a younger impressionable disciple. No wonder so many people see "victims" as "consensual" in many cases of abuse.
Mysterio & Mike Bickle
Mysterio had craftily spun a narrative, which established his reputation as a trusted hero who fought against destructive powers. His integrity was unquestionable. Sound like someone we know? Mike Bickle's reputation as a world-wide godly charismatic leader had gone unchallenged for decades. Why? Like Mysterio, look at all the "good" he had done! If there were ever an indiscretion, or something that seemed the least bit concerning about Mike's behavior (tossling a girl's hair, kissing her on the cheek, running his hand up a woman's leg under a table, giving a massage, meeting with a female privately behind a locked door, providing a hotel room to a female assistant and then showering in that hotel room, the list goes on), it was always dismissed as a quirk, "Oh that's just Mike."
In the end of the Marvel movie, Spider-Man finally learned how to fight against the deception by getting on the inside of the illusion. He tuned into his super-hero sense so he could distinguish between reality and fiction. When it looked like Spider-Man was finally victorious, he discerned Mysterio's surrender as another illusion. Even after this counterfeit superhero was defeated, another web of lies was spun about Spider-Man's wickedness in destroying a world-renowned hero. Again, sound like a narrative we've been following in the Charismatic Church?
What is Truth?
What if we listened to the Holy Spirit with the same accuracy Spider-Man followed his super-hero senses so that we may counter the surreptitious tactics of our enemy? Surely that is the only way God-fearing believers can battle the villain of deception, which is attacking the Body of Christ today. Getting on the inside of the illusion means using God's Word to rightly divide HIS truth.
Many ask the question, “How could Mike Bickle teach scripture so powerfully yet live a double life?” Remember how Satan was an angel of light and used Scripture to temp Adam and Eve, and then later Jesus? Our enemy is extremely crafty! He can deceive a believer into skewing boundary lines, becoming self-deceived, justifying sin, developing theology and narratives of self-protection, and giving into so many other lies, that it becomes impossible to determine what is TRUE!
The good thing is that God's Word is TRUTH!
God’s WORD will not return void. It will accomplish what GOD sent it forth to accomplish, even if it has been taught by a counterfeit. Every word of Biblical truth that Mike Bickle taught is still true, even though Mike was a man full of mixture and deception. God's Word will always be living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, even the sword of a double life.
As we heal, let's remember what is TRUE:
GOD’S WORD.
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Here's my Facebook post from March 4th, 2025:
This is a "MUST LISTEN" conversation the Body of Christ, especially those in leadership, need to hear!!! What is the Church saying about the crisis? Ignore it? Or learn from it? Are we going to be silent or train up the next generation? Are we going to put a person with wolf like tendencies, even if it's a "restored" and "domesticated" wolf, in a position of leadership in ministry?
And a question they didn't ask that I have is: "How can a wolf, who has these tendencies or addictions and doesn't want to be a wolf anymore, be free from the patterns of being a wolf? Is there any hope for a wolf to change? How?"
Basically, the Church needs to focus on protecting the sheep and getting the wolves out. That's the priority!!! But we also need to identify how to help a person find freedom and deliverance from the addictions and demons of their past so they don't continue in those patterns.
So right now there should be a massive response from church leaders on how to address this whole dilemma! If leaders are going to remain silent, how can we heal? How can we learn? How can we grow? How can we prevent harm to sheep in the future? How can we equip the next generation of leaders!
I'm sick of hearing the Church say that any talk concerning this issue is gossip! COME ON!!! That's what the enemy wants us to believe. It's a religious spirit. It's deception.
Church, it's time to step up and train our children on the differences between gossip vs. reform, complicity vs. exposure, and deception vs. TRUTH!!!
And how can a wolf teach scripture so powerfully? Remember how Satan was an angel of light and used Scripture to temp Adam and Eve, and later Jesus? God's Word is TRUTH! It will not return void but accomplish what it is sent forth to accomplish, even by a counterfeit. It is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, even that of a double life. As we heal, let's remember what is TRUE: GOD'S WORD!!!!
__________________________________________________
And another must-read facebook post from a friend:
Post from my friend. Insightful.
June C Peng is feeling sad.
I am finally breaking my silence regarding the Mike Bickle/IHOPKC crisis after witnessing it up close for 18 months! I am doing this mostly in consideration of my friends and family in California, and even in Asia, those loved ones who supported me during the past decades in my pursuit of God, moving and joining IHOPKC for the past 20 years.
You might have heard rumors of s3xual allegations against Mike Bickle. After 18 months, a 3rd-party investigation into the allegations has finally been completed. It is true—Mike Bickle has been a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
A disclaimer--I was never abused by Mike Bickle. During my 8 years on full-time staff at IHOPKC, and nearly 15 years in the church/community, I have only had positive interactions (albeit only a handful of them) with Bickle. By in large, my time at IHOPKC had been a positive and fruitful one. I loved pursuing God with a group of radical friends. Most of the people at IHOPKC, even those there now, are there because of their sincere devotion to Jesus.
However, this is NOT the experience of everyone. I was gutted to learn what the report done by the 3rd party investigation, Firefly, had revealed. The egregious manner, and extent of abuse Bickle and leadership team had caused is simply disturbing. According to the official report:
17 interviewed survivors were victims of either sexual abuse or sexual misconduct by Bickle, spanning from mid-1970 to 2023.
2 were identified as underage minors when the s3xual abuse began
Some were s3xually abused for 3 years. Others 8 years. One was abuse for the span of 18 years.
“Bickle committed spiritual, emotional, and s3xual abuse within IHOPKC. Bickle’s reported abuse was an on-going course of action and patterned behavior starting as early as the 1970s based on victim accounts…Furthermore, this report finds a deliberate indifference by Bickle and ELT (IHOPKC leadership team) in minimizing reports of sexual abuse…with not only exacerbated the trauma experience by victims but also allowed perpetrators to evade accountability and continue their misconduct…” (pp.55-56)
“Bickle was a master at using prophetic words to gain his victims' trust. By presenting himself as a spiritual authority with divine insight, he manipulated his victims into believing that his actions were guided by a higher power. His manipulation extended to spiritualizing his demands for secrecy with (his victims). By framing his requirements in a religious context, he further exploited her faith and trust. This tactic made (them) feel as though keeping their interactions secret was not only necessary but also divinely sanctioned.” (pg 9)
“Bickle use of ‘prophetic manipulation’ of (victims) was deeply disturbing and manipulative tone. By claiming that the Lord had told him his wife Diane was going to die and that they would be together, he exploited (their) faith and trust in him. This tactic is particularly insidious, as it uses religious beliefs to justify and normalize his predatory behavior.” (pg 34)
Some say this was only a ‘slip-up’, a moral stumbling that happened decades ago. Yet the report finds that Mike Bickle’s abuse was an on-going predatory pattern, with one case happening for 18 years, and right up until the allegations broke in 2023.
Some say that this is all just spiritual warfare due to Mike Bickle’s strong stance for Israel. Yet the Tikkun International team IN Israel were the ones who raised the funds, hired and oversaw Firefly to conduct this investigation during a literal war in the Middle east, seeking to do the right thing by God, holding ‘shepherds’ to account and standing for vulnerable and abused ‘sheep’.
Some say the blood of Jesus is enough to cover Mike Bickle’s transgression. Yes, but til this day, Bickle has not apologized personally to ANY of these 17 victims for committing clergy s3xual abuse towards them. Nor has he repented to the Body of Christ for his egregious conduct as a spiritual leader.
Some say that this is an attack on the 24/7 House of Prayer that God has established. Yet we see in the New Testament, as the God-man stood at the Temple/House of Prayer, which He had laid forth the blueprint centuries ago, He cracking the whip and overturning the table in righteous indignation for the corruption and injustice ways the religious leaders were abusing God's people (Matt 21:13; John 2:14-17)
Some say such a evil thing cannot have come out from a place/person who has done so much good for the kingdom. It remains a mystery to me, that God allows both "the wheat and tare to grow together" (Matt 13:24-30). It will take me a life-time to process.
I wept when I sang at my very last set in December 2023 with the worship team in the prayer room. There is truly no place like IHOPKC. Our lives in Kansas city, and the community we had in IHOPKC will never be the same again.
Yet I weep even more for the sin, abuse, injustice with which God has put up in the back rooms of that very prayer room. To all the victims of Mike Bickle and IHOPKC, I stand with you and applaud you for your courage and vulnerability to bring light into the darkness. This ‘exposure’ isn’t something done against God and His kingdom work. I believe it is done BY God.
Til this day, the scripture on the wall of the IHOPKC prayer room testifies, “will not God bring about justice for those who cry out to him day and night?” (Luke 18:6) Truly, my friends, as that verse continues… “Will He keep putting them off? He will bring about justice for them quickly” (Luke 18:8). I believe that time is NOW.
I have attached the official investigative report, along with journalistic reports (at very bottom of comment section) covering the 18-month process of exposure.
Official 3rd party Investigation Report:
Be sure to go back and read previous posts to follow my journey of processing and detangling the IHOP-KC crisis.
#1 Puzzled!
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Jan 23
Life is hard. #firsthundredyears
#2 Questions about Mike Bickle & IHOPKC
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Jan 24
#3 Questioning Mike Bickle's Silence
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Jan 26
#4 Choosing Sides
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Jan 31
#5 The 68 Page Report
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Feb 8
If I am the devil... I give someone PERFECT theology and the ability to articulate it perfectly...if that person is a predator and/or eventually does something that forces the church and secular society to forcefully repudiate it.