SBC President Ronnie Floyd, Featured Speaker at New Apostolic Reformation’s IHOP

My friend Pastor James Bell posted this on Facebook this morning.

IHOP-- not pancakes! BUT... IHOP: International House of Prayer! IHOP HAS BEEN INDEXED AS A CULT by Multiple and Diverse Ministries. THAT FACT makes the following troubling: I read that Southern Baptist Convention President Ronnie Floyd will be speaking at the IHOP's (International House of Prayer's) OneThing conference December 28-31.

IF FLOYD boldly exposes the serious false teaching of IHOP and of Romanism and calls them to repent-- wonderful.

HOWEVER, he does not, Floyd will be teaming up with a group of charismatic mystics and Roman Catholic praise musician Matt Maher.

For example, Matt leads the "Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament" at Catholic Churches, such as Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Tempe which is devoted to Mary, "the Mother of Life." The "Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament" refers to the worship of the consecrated host of the mass. Because of the supposed power of the Catholic mass to transform bread into the very body and blood of Jesus, the host is "adored" as Christ Himself.

The following is quoted from 'Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

There are certainly many different theological distinctives in the Christian church, and many of us do differ. However, we do not go so far as to label each other cults or heretics. On the other hand, IHOP has been labeled dangerous, cultic, false, and heretical by many ministries, former members, apologetic groups, and godly men. In fact, other charismatic Christians have stood up to oppose them as well. A small listing of these groups include:

The Apologetics Index
Apologetics Resource Center
Critical Issues Commentary
Pastor Ernie Gruen (a Charismatic preacher) who was written a manuscript entitled “Documentation of the Aberrant Practices and Teachings of Kansas City Fellowship (Grace Ministries).” Kansas City Fellowship (Grace Ministries) is Mike Bickles former ministry prior to founding IHOP.
Pastor Bill Randles (a Pentecostal preacher) has written a book titled, “Weighed and Found Wanting.”
The Gospel Masquerade is a website created by a former staff member of IHOP.

All these resources are available in the references section. I especially recommend The Gospel Masquerade website, Pastor Gruen’s manuscript, and Pastor Randles’ book.

Conclusion: Though it may seem like a place that is on fire and passionate for God, this is simply not the case. Many of the people that do go there are sincere Christians, but they have been overcome by the lies and experiences they have there. In short, the people I have communicated with ignore the things above and simply hold on to what they have experienced and point the finger at me saying, “You don’t know about us.” 

Unfortunately I do know, and I hope this article persuades or helps you convince someone else who is going down a destructive path. It breaks my heart to see so many young people fall victim to this place and all the people who waste their lives and God-given talents to expand IHOP’s kingdom and not God’s Kingdom.

References
[1] http://www.ihop.org/Group/Group.aspx?ID=1000036203
[2] Randle, Bill. “Weighed and Found Wanting: The Toronto Experience Examined in the Light of the Bible. Cambridge, UK. 1996. http://www.apologeticsindex.org/docs/WeighedAndFoundWanting.pdf
[3] Gruen, Ernie. Documentation of the Aberrant Practices and Teachings of Kansas City Fellowship (Grace Ministries). Shawnee, KS. No date. http://www.deceptionbytes.com/AberrentDoctrinesKCF
[4] http://www.apologeticsindex.org/b56.html
[5] http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/CHAOS1.HTM
[6] http://signofjonah.wordpress.com/2006/07/13/ihop-and-cultural-influences
[7] http://www.pfo.org/growingpains.htm
[8] http://thepredestinedblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/ihop-manifesto.html
[9] http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue107.htm
[10] http://carm.org/centering-prayer
[11] The Lockman Foundation. New American Standard Bible. La Habra, CA. 1995.
[12] MacArthur, John. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Colossians and Philemon. Chicago, IL. 1992.
[13] http://gospelmasquerade.wordpress.com/2009/08/01/contemplative-prayer-continued/

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Other people/organizations concerned with President Floyd's appearance at IHOP's OneThing convention are:

Michelle Lesley: SBC President Ronnie Floyd, Featured Speaker at New Apostolic Reformation’s IHOP

Lighthouse Trails Letter to the Editor: SBC President Ronnie Floyd to Speak At IHOP “Onething”

Berean Research: Southern Baptist Convention president to speak at IHOP-KC’s “Onething” gathering?

I know many people, pastors even, who are more aligned with and loyal to a denominational affiliation than with Jesus. However as Michelle Lesley says, "As a lifelong Southern Baptist it grieves me to have to report this, but if you’re Southern Baptist, you deserve to know and need to know what the president of your denomination is doing." Personally, I had been proud to belong to a church which affiliates with the SBC but in recent years I have become saddened by the liberal drift, their intolerance for the Doctrines of Grace worse, their disdain for the people who believe in them, and the blatant acceptance of false doctrines and the people who bring them. Now this. I hope and pray that the reason Mr Floyd accepted the invitation is to speak the truth in love to the IHOP participants. Wouldn't that be wonderful!

However if Mr Floyd does not speak the Gospel to the IHOP participants at OneThing Convention, it will be terribly sad. It would mean that even the most conservative denominations err, as this incident shows us. Yet the encouraging thing is that we are SO GRACEFULLY BLESSED to have a Savior to whom we can look, and in whom there is no error, no lie, and no sin! We must keep looking to Jesus, even when favored teachers, pastors, or denominations fall. Jesus is the answer, He is the blessing that was given by God to the world, but the world received Him not. (John 1:10-11).

If you are saved today, saved from an eternity in hell separated from Jesus, then you have the truth and can continue looking to Him to remain solid in your doctrine. The lesson is, even men like Ronnie Floyd who has been a pastor for 38 years in a conservative denomination can drift away, so we must cling to the Rock. (And not make an idol of a denomination, as some have).

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. (Hebrews 2:1)

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