Right, my only exposure to IHOP (this side of eating) has been on AFF, and was favorable, basically by Michael the Disciple.
If your testimony is true (and I have no reason to doubt it) I would have to agree with you, what a freak show. A guy laughing and laying on the ground with a mic saying "more"? Was/is supposed to be the preacher/speaker?
They have a "live" and ongoing telecast that includes music and "exhortations" running 24/7. Whoever is "in charge" will probably vary as the different shifts come and go. After a while, they may even be tapping out their own local "talent" and include those who may or may not actually be prepared for such a responsibility.
The thought behind what they are doing is great, but the action of what is going on is strange. In a 'super-religious' society the strange is the norm. I am sure we have all seen our share of the super strange. Laughing and whatever are all done in the name of Jesus it seems. If the pentecostal church is known for one thing it is the style of worship. But being know for that is not a great thing because may people agree that it is just unorganized chaos. I am ok with dancing and shouting if that is your worship style, but it is not appropriate at all times. IMO, if you are going to pray in tongues until you fall out (of exhaustion or the spirit) or just speaking in tongues as loud as possible should be reserved for ones prayer closet. In order to become all things to all people I am not confident that is possible if we stay in OUR bubble and not 'prefer our brothers' feelings over ours. I would and could speak in tongues until I am loony toons, but what does it matter if someone is offended by it? I would rather not offend a person (out of my good nature) and seek God in that way when alone.
IHOP is known for awesomely wild and rediculous things. Too bad that some skeptics, NOW included, get to watch something that honestly should be private. Of course that is not a shot at NOW. NOW is my favorite on here and is a GREAT friend to me. You know when preachers ask "How long has it been since you talked in tongues?" or some variations of this it bugs me because that it TOTALLY private IMO. It is NO ONES business, not even my wifes, unless I make that someones business. Just Rambling...
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"If we don't learn to live together we're gonna die alone"
Jack Shephard.
And of course NOW and some others would mock IHOP after having seen what one broadcast? I have seen some things myself that I did not really care for coming from there. However as far as worship goes I have watched the PRAYER ROOM consistently for 5 or 6 months now.
It is my experience from the Pentecostal Churches I came up around that IHOP is certainly not "ridiculously wild". Matter of fact they are more orderly than the Pentecostal groups of the era I came up around.
My favor toward IHOP is not based soley on their worship. I commend them because they are a post tribulation rapture teaching group. Also they teach the manchild company which I do also. They are strong on the sermon on the mount and discipleship/holiness.
I have on several occasions heard at least one of the leading ministers there teach one is not fully born again apart from water and spirit baptism. To me from where they have been this is moving in the right direction.
They are serving thousands of young people who are becoming commited to Christ and are witnessing in the streets. I personally have not seen a youth movement greater than this not even in the days of the Jesus People movement which I came up in.
If they were in the neighborhood I live in I would go there above the UPC type Churches any day.
I haven't flipped through the Direct TV group of "Christian" stations lately so I just did. I started at God TV and it was the IHOP group. Beautiful music. Then this guy comes up and starts into the laughing stuff and saying things that make no sense. And the audience is following his lead.
What a freak show. I've seen a lot of people on AFF compliment IHOP. Sorry, I'm not getting it. Looks like another Hagin, Hinn, Copeland, freak show to me.
NOW, I am not sure what you were viewing, but IHOP has a campus here in DC, they have had conferences on the mall with tens of thousands and never had anything like what you describe.
Lou Engle is the visionary and co-founder of TheCall solemn assemblies (www.TheCall.com), a movement of prayer gathering young adults to pray and fast for breakthrough and revival. TheCall began in Washington, DC in 2000 gathering over 400,000 people to pray and fast for the United States. Since 2000, The Call has gathered hundreds of thousands of people to pray both national and internationally. After a few years of dormancy, TheCall was revived on 07.07.07 with over 70,000 people gathering for TheCall Nashville.
Lou Engle’s heart passion is to call young adults into a lifestyle of radical prayer, fasting, and holiness. In 2004, Lou planted the first Justice House of Prayer in Washington, DC to contend with the injustice of abortion and to pray for righteous leaders to be raised up in America. Since then, JHOPs have emerged in San Francisco, Boston, New York, and San Diego.
Currently, Lou Engle resides in Kansas City, MO where TheCall finds its headquarters. He is also a senior leader at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City with Mike Bickle.
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"Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow." ~Aesop
At Forward Conference this year, Lou Engle was there and they will be having another call conference in September I believe in California...it was awesome and I really enjoyed Lou Engle...he did not sound like anything you have described on here. He was incredible...I really enjoyed him.
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"Just a sinner saved by grace!"
I haven't flipped through the Direct TV group of "Christian" stations lately so I just did. I started at God TV and it was the IHOP group. Beautiful music. Then this guy comes up and starts into the laughing stuff and saying things that make no sense. And the audience is following his lead.
What a freak show. I've seen a lot of people on AFF compliment IHOP. Sorry, I'm not getting it. Looks like another Hagin, Hinn, Copeland, freak show to me.
I've watched IHOP for a long time. Taking a wild guess that you saw Wes Hall?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bGfLwUavY8
IMO, it is unfair to completely throw out the ministry and refer to it as a "freak show" because one speaker is wacky.
__________________ "We ask why there so many signs and miracles overseas but not in America. I’ll tell you why. Overseas, they preach to the lost. In America, we preach to the found." -Joel Stockstill
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