One of the greatest harms done by such theological cesspools as IHOP is that it drags what should be fringe into the center, so as to appear acceptable. The reality is that very little of what has happened at IHOP, since it's bogus inception, should be vaguely acceptable to a discerning Christian. Instead, what we hear is that sure, Bickle was bad but that does not mean the 24-7 prayer has to go! Yes, yes it does. It became a gateway for even worse theology as escapees from IHOP have testified to. Kundalini, Easter Mysticism, and just recently a regular leader and false prophet in the Prayer Room now stands accused of sexual misconduct. A good buddy of Bickle's by the way. When Bicklegate was just exploding we heard a push back from IHOP worship leader Misty Edwards and many lifted her up as some bastion of moral centeredness amidst this rising sea of problems. Again, the fringe being dragged to the center. Misty Edwards has never been acceptable beloved. I do not blame her as she was taught by the now credibly accused and admitted sexual predator Mike Bickle. Is it any wonder then that Misty composed some of the ickiest faux worship this side of Rick "take me to Your chambers" Pino. Don't believe me? Here are three Misty Edwards examples of what passed for "worship" when IHOP was still a thing:
Song 1
I am lovesick, for my Beloved
My Beloved and my Friend
Only YOU can satisfy
Try as I may to chase another Lover
I find there is, there is no other
For only YOU can satisfy
Song 2
For God is a Lover
Looking for a lover so He fashioned me
God is a Lover
Looking for a lover so
He formed my heart
God is a Lover
Looking for a lover so He fashioned me
God is a Lover
Looking for a lover...
Song 3
Come be the fire inside of me
Come be the flame upon my heart
Come be the fire inside of me
Until You and I are one
Now I would hope this does not need further explanation but the sexualizing of God is not worship. It creates a false paradigm in the minds and hearts of churchgoers, especially impressionable young female worshippers. Lyrics like this are often couched with the assertion of how deeply people like Misty "love" God but this is not love. God is not looking for a lover. That was a John Cougar Mellencamp song I believe. We are to revere God, not strive to "be one with Him." Our worship of the Creator of the entire universe should not center on our being "satisfied."
That being said, Misty Edwards is an internationally recognized worship leader and Christian music celebrity. Although not verified, her net worth is estimated between one and five million dollars, which would align with her musical success. Who does she owe this success to? Mike Bickle. Edwards was one of the first five interns at IHOP and eventually became the worship leader, which she parlayed into the career she now enjoys. This is not to take anything away from her skill in the industry but if one was being honest, we would have to admit that it was only her involvement with Bickle that led to where she is today. According to Wikipedia, she was going to pursue a career as a lawyer before IHOP. Why is this important? Because she has obviously been one of the tireless advocates for Bickle since the Bicklegate story blew up and continues to this day. When the story first broke, she made a public statement that it had been reported that she was one of Bickle's victims and she wanted to make it clear she was not. This all seemed very suspicious even then as the names of Edwards and another Facebook poster seemed to be leaked by pro-Bickle folks who wanted to be able to cast doubt on the victims by pointing to Edwards as proof there was a problem within the victim group. The actual victim group however, has never verified that Edwards was even one of the alleged victims. To this day they have not. It appears now however, that Edwards feels compelled to muddy the waters some more, now that IHOP has cut off all ties with Bickle and he has admitted some guilt. The above link is to a statement she claims to be making along with five of the Jane Does, which again does not actually come from the victim group. In this statement, Misty tries her best to provide more cover for the disgraced Bickle, smears his victims, and tries to pretend that she is actually the real victim of this story - not of Bickle but of his accusers. Let us reason once more together.
