Beyond The Basics

I haven’t said much publicly about the allegations against Mike Bickle at IHOPKC, though I’ve said plenty privately. I think it’s time that changed.

A little over 12 years ago, I had a dream. In the dream, I was driving south on Interstate 35 from Minneapolis, where I lived at the time. I heard the words audibly in the dream, “Go to Kansas City.”

I had no idea at the time why I would have a dream telling me to go to Kansas City. So I started asking around and found out that there was a place there called the International House Of Prayer where they were praying and worshipping without stopping and had been doing so for well over a decade at that point. What’s more, they had a huge conference scheduled for a little over a month away from when I had the dream so I decided to go.

It turns out, the Lord knew what He was doing by giving me that dream. I was fascinated by this new expression of adoration and worship to the Lord. I felt like I was reading my Bible for the first time in my life. I threw myself into the calling of establishing day and night prayer and worship on the earth and while I never spent more than a few days at a time at IHOPKC, I have been involved in prayer rooms ever since then. I’ve soaked up Mike Bickle’s teachings as well as other teachers from the ministry.

Fast forward to October 2023 when the news of allegations against Mike Bickle involving clergy abuse came out. My first reaction was, of course, that this was impossible. Of all the ministers in the world, Mike Bickle was the last one who I would have thought would have been involved in some sort of immorality or abuse. He just seemed so far above reproach. He said all the right things about purity and repentance and humility.

Over the last couple months it seems to be clear that is not the case. Not only that but the leadership at IHOPKC has been at best incompetent and at worst actively trying to discredit the victims and buy time to cover up evidence of what could be found in an investigation of the organization as a whole. It has been absolutely heartbreaking for me to watch this unfold as I have invested so much of my time and prayers in a movement that began as a seed in my heart that IHOPKC themselves planted. I have watched leaders and teachers for whom I have had deep respect turn into cultish leaders and mafia-style thugs trying to suppress anyone trying to speak out and reveal the truth of what has happened there over the last 25 years.

For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17)

I believe God is doing something in the Church right now. I believe He is bringing judgment to the Church culture that elevates personalities above Jesus Himself. I believe too many Christians know what their favorite celebrity preacher says better than they know the Bible. I know this was the case for me. I believed Mike Bickle for years when he taught that repentance means we confess our sin to God and then “Press Delete” and move on knowing that “God’s narrative” of our lives is that we are righteous before him. I never read the parts of the Bible that tell us we need to confess our sin to others, and that we need to make things right with those we hurt wherever and whenever we can.

It’s teachings like that that lead men like Mike Bickle to believe they are in right standing before God while they continue to abuse and manipulate others. And we’re seeing this happen time and time again with charismatic leader after charismatic leader. I believe this is what God is bringing under His judgment. I believe God is hearing the cries for justice of those who have been abused and hurt in IHOPKC and places like it for decades and He will no longer tolerate shepherds who destroy His people.

“My anger is hot against the shepherds, and I will punish the leaders; for the Lord of hosts cares for his flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like his majestic steed in battle.” (Zechariah 10:3)

The nation of Israel had the same problem in the days after the return from the Babylonian exile. Those Jews who returned to Jerusalem were supposed to be rebuilding the city and the temple but the leadership of the nation was corrupt and taking advantage of the people. God was not happy with this and told Israel through the prophet Zechariah that he would remove these shepherds and put in place a Good Shepherd who would care for His flock.

I believe this is the same message that the Holy Spirit is sending to IHOPKC and the Church in general today. Those shepherds who are abusing, manipulating, taking advantage of and defrauding the flock will be removed. The Church needs the leadership of the Good Shepherd more than ever before.

Dean Briggs, who was on staff at IHOPKC for several years until recently, posted a blog on his website that articulates far better than I can many of the same things I’ve been seeing and feeling from afar. Please go read his post here. His response is so full of wisdom and truth and it’s a shame that IHOPKC leadership is refusing to listen.

*********************************************************************************************************

About four years ago, I had another dream about IHOPKC. In the dream, I went there and it was nighttime. I went inside and all the lights were off. I couldn’t see a thing. I could hear people praying and worshipping but even though I searched through the whole building I couldn’t find them anywhere.

At the time, I couldn’t have determine the meaning of the dream if my life had depended on it. I talked to pastors, friends, family, and no one could figure out what it meant. It never even crossed my mind that IHOPKC could be completely surrounded and overtaken by darkness.

Four years later, the interpretation is obvious. The darkness that permeates the walls of that prayer room probably goes far deeper than we know right now. More stories will come out that will reveal the depravity of the leadership there and the leadership team will continue to dig in their heels to protect their ministry while destroying lives and destroying the witness of the gospel.

But there is hope.

God has preserved a remnant of intercessors there that will continue to keep the fire on the altar day and night. This may not look like what it does now with all the expensive sound equipment and the live webstream. Many of those currently in leadership may not even be involved. But there are those in Kansas City who still have the heart of an intercessor.

See, the very definition of an intercessor is one who appeals on behalf of another. The intercessor, by definition, must stand up and cry out for those who have no voice. You know, the oppressed, the marginalized, the prisoner, the orphan, the victim of clergy sexual abuse.

I’m losing hope that those on the leadership team at IHOPKC will repent and do the right thing. There is a sinister thread of willful ignorance and a lack of humility and compassion in their public statements that it is clear there is no desire to repent. Those that would admit their guilt have already deceived themselves into thinking that they’ve repented to God and they’ve pressed delete and God no longer sees that narrative of their lives anymore. I continue to read the stories online of those who have gone there to find healing and peace and have left feeling broken and hurting and these stories continue to go unheard by those who have perpetrated this injustice.

So my prayer is that there are those who have heard the cries for justice and begin to take up that banner before the Lord. Not the banner of 24/7 prayer and worship, not the banner of keeping the fire on the altar, not the banner of a worldwide ministry based on false prophecy from prophets with a deep history of immorality. None of that stuff matters one bit to the Lord if we do not show justice and mercy to those in our midst.

It’s ironic, you know.

Mike Bickle used to prophesy that the Lord would change the expression of Christianity in one generation. I think he always thought that he would be part of that new expression of Christianity, or at least a forerunner to it. Ironically, I think this is one prophecy he got right. He just didn’t know he was part of the expression of Christianity that needed to be done away with.

Lord, expose our hearts so that we would see the areas where we have fallen short in taking care of your flock. Expose the areas where we have ignored those who have no voice. Teach us to love mercy and justice so that we may walk blameless before you, a generation poured out in love and adoration for you that will burn brighter than any 24/7 prayer room ever could.

*********************************************************************************************************

To be clear, I still love the expression of day and night prayer and worship. I absolutely believe it’s biblical and I still intend to be part of building day and night prayer and worship wherever I am. I believe Jesus is worthy of our unceasing love and adoration. I believe more than ever there is a need for intercessors to stand up and cry out for justice and mercy. Nothing Mike Bickle does will ever change that reality.

I know that what’s going on in Kansas City will likely hurt the prayer movement in the short term. But I believe God is not taken by surprise by any of this and He will use this to purify the global prayer movement into deeper compassion, genuine repentance and a more pure biblical doctrine that will result in a great increase of prayer and worship around the world.

It just might look a little different than what we’re used to.