#3 Questioning Mike Bickle's Silence

Mike's lack of response raises more questions.

What did I expect?

When I first heard the allegations against Mike Bickle in October 2023, I did not believe them. Like I said, Mike was the godliest man I ever knew. How could they be true? I reasoned that there might have been some area of compromise in his life when he was young, but he had learned from his mistakes.

I could recount so many times that Mike talked about King David's compromise with Bathsheba and even the evil plan he carried out to murder her husband. Of course that was extreme. Mike would have never had a truly wicked compromise in his life. This was just a picture to show that even the most sinful man could receive God's forgiveness and be considered "a man after God's heart." Surely this was not the case with Mike. He and his wife Diane were solid. They walked in humility and the fear of the Lord. Mike constantly prayed for the spirit of wisdom and revelation and studied the Bible for hours every day. His heart was to live in such a way that was pleasing to the Lord. He taught about the letters to the churches in the book of Revelation and their warnings to repent. Mike even taught about confessing sin daily and having a clean conscience before the Lord. I learned that Jesus will return for a "pure and spotless Bride" from this man. Mike didn't want to have the slightest area of sin in his life. He prayed, "Lord, shock me now, don't shock me later." If any part of the allegations were true, I fully expected Mike to confess and demonstrate humility.

Why has Mike been silent?

Mike taught about false accusations. He had been falsely accused in the past. The Ernie Gruin situation was explained in the prophetic history. According to Mike, all of Ernie's claims were false. Mike did not defend himself. Eventually, Ernie admitted his fault to Mike and they were reconciled. At least that's the narrative I understood. Mike spoke repeatedly about a "black horse," which represented a spirit of accusation that would come again. In the face of accusation, Mike had committed to the Lord that he would remain silent in the same way Jesus did not answer his accusers. God would vindicate Mike in the future as He always had in the past.

Though Mike's "last sermon" has been scrubbed from most internet sites, it is still available online. He actually gave the same message to the School of Messengers and the Forerunner Church congregation. I have only found one of those recordings. Soon after the allegations came out, I listened to both recordings repeatedly. I recall Mike addressing issues of sin in the one I can no longer find. It is possible that I remember an entirely different teaching, but I formed some thoughts about Mike’s character as I listened. Mike was explaining how a person can be deceived by unconfessed sin. He mentioned something about repeating patterns of sin and not realizing they are wrong. I am sure my memories of his words are not accurate. What I am confident of is that it caused me to question the "moral compromise" in Mike’s life. What was it?

What was Mike’s moral compromise?

If Mike so closely related to King David, what did Mike do that was so evil? What caused Mike to focus so much on God's delight in weak human beings? He knew he was a sinful man and that God had pardoned him. Why did he never talk about what happened? Most people can tell their testimonies. Why couldn't Mike talk about what sin he had come out of? Why is Mike's past so shrouded in a mystery?

What could I do?

I appealed to Mike and Diane. So sure was I of Mike's unwavering character, that I wrote a letter. I'm sure he received many similar appeals. To ensure he received it, I delivered a copy personally to Diane after taping one to the front door of his house. Of course, his response has been radio silence for over a year.

My letter to Mike & Diane:

January 1, 2024

Dear Mike and Diane,

I humbly submit this letter to you as your spiritual daughter. I came to IHOP in 2003. Words cannot express my gratitude for all that you both have invested in my life and in the multitudes of other lives around the world! I am deeply grieved for the current crisis you and your family are experiencing. As my father faced his own moral failures, which divided our family, I can empathize on a very small scale with what you are both facing.

As I have investigated matters myself, considering all sides and possible scenarios, I have concluded that the Lord is shaking His House of Prayer in order to remove all mixture so that He is able to release His Spirit without measure to a generation in which the understanding and expression of Christianity is changed because His Bride is purified.

I implore you, Mike Bickle, please respond with greater humility and public repentance using Nehemiah as a model. Christ did not open his mouth because He was sinless. You are not. Take ownership of the spiritual malpractice that has occurred under your leadership over decades. This is what is needed in order to change course. You are a spiritual father to a worldwide Church. You have the opportunity to take the lead and break off the pattern of spiritual abuse, moral compromise, hidden sins, and all kinds of mixture in the Body of Christ. You said to the Lord, "Shock me now. Don't shock me later!" This is His wake up call. This is not about being vindicated or proven innocent. It is NOT just about a moral failure 20+ years ago. It is about the mixture that existed throughout your leadership over the past few decades, which has caused a serious infection in this ministry and given license to the avoidance of discipline for sin.

I realize you may not agree with many of the accusations concerning your own sins or the handling of situations, which include the reporting of sexual or spiritual misconduct and correction for it. However, as your dear friend, Lou Engle, once said, "What if we could break open something over an entire generation?" This was in the context of Lou Engle repenting over his own compromise and giving into the lust of the eyes.

Billy Graham had such strict boundaries of not ever being alone with a woman in order to guard against giving into sin and even the appearance of evil. Why not OWN it completely, outside of any attorney's advice? Why not throw yourself and the entire ministry at the feet of Jesus through publicly mourning and repenting from every sin and hint of compromise? Why not set a precedent of repentance and acknowledging the pitfalls so that future failures may be avoided throughout the Body of Christ?

Remember Nehemiah who mourned, fasted, and prayed for days when he heard that the wall of Jerusalem had been broken down and its gates burned with fire. He prayed, “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of
love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.”

Mike, IHOP-KC and FC are on fire! Go before the Lord with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Confess the sins that the Body of Christ, including yourself and your father's family, have committed against God. Acknowledge that you have acted as Nehemiah said, "very wickedly toward God" and have not walked in 100% obedience to God's commands. Confess the sins of Bob Jones, Paul Cain, yourself, your family, IHOPKC leadership, and many others. Lay your heart bare. Stop being silent. To be clear, I am exhorting you to voice true, specific, and full repentance, not to defend yourself, teach, or anything else. Make your repentance public, honest, and transparent so that an entire generation can change course and not go down in shame like the Titanic.

“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” Ps. 32:3-5

I beseech you. Do this for your children, your grandchildren, and all who have been impacted by you and by the worldwide prayer movement. Leave a blessing and not a curse. You still have a voice. Please. SPEAK!

Sincerely yours,

Cherie (Blair) Nicholson

IHOP-KC Staff 2003-2009
FC Friendship Group Co-Leader 2016-2024

What happened next?

I began to investigate. My response to Mike's lack of response was to search things out for myself. I began asking questions, a lot of them. I met with some key leaders (current and former) and many other individuals in order to gain clarity. I pressed in to understand things that had taken place behind the scenes. Friends who had left the ministry previously began sharing their stories of malpractice. I began inspecting pieces of the puzzle I never knew existed. I concluded like many others: Something is not right!

What do I want to accomplish through my Substack?

I know that I can't solve this puzzle. But I know there are problem solvers out there who can see different parts of the puzzle that I don't. The main thing I want to accomplish is to present a perspective with my pieces that will help others solve the greater puzzle. It's not up to one person. We all have pieces that need to be placed to see the full picture. That's why it's important for us to talk and share our stories.

Many people in the Church simply view talking about scandals, allegations, etc as gossip and slander. Some say, "The past is just the past. We need to forgive and forget. Our sins are removed from us as far as the rest is from the west." There's a problem if we stop there. We miss the fact that looking at the past can help us heal. Acknowledging failures can help us prevent them in the future. In order to move forward, we have to learn from history.

This past year, I watched the foundation of a ministry I followed for twenty years crumble. As I worshipped this morning at a church that has become my lifeboat, these words resonated within my spirit.

"Christ is my firm foundation
The rock on which I stand
When everything around me is shaken
I've never been more glad
That I put my faith in Jesus
'Cause He's never let me down
He's faithful through generations
So why would He fail now?
He won't...

I've still got joy in chaos
I've got peace that makes no sense
I won't be going under
I'm not held by my own strength
'Cause I've built my life on Jesus
He's never let me down
He's faithful through every season
So why would He fail now?
He won't...

This is my story, this is my song...

Rain came, wind blew
But my house was built on You
I'm safe with You
I'm gonna make it through..."

Songwriters: Austin Davis / Chandler Moore / Cody Carnes
Firm Foundation lyrics © Capitol CMG Publishing

October 28, 2003

Here's a brief timeline provided by AI of the initial announcement and response:

Allegations against Mike Bickle, a minister, were announced publicly on October 28, 2023. The allegations included sexual abuse from multiple women over several decades.

Explanation

• On October 28, 2023, news broke that Bickle was facing sexual abuse allegations.

• The next day, International House of Prayer (IHOP) put Bickle on administrative leave while they investigated.

• On December 12, 2023, Bickle admitted to past misconduct, but denied some of the allegations.

• On December 22, 2023, IHOP announced that they would permanently sever ties with Bickle.

Recommendations:

There are so many pieces of the IHOPKC puzzle and its foundations that need to be examined. I cannot even begin to cover the story of how everything has unfolded. I have gleaned insight from numerous podcasts. Many are seen as controversial. Though I do not fully agree with everyone's viewpoint, I have found various resources helpful in sorting through the pieces. Below are some YouTube channels I’ve listened to over the past year. Please use discernment as you sift through the information.

YouTube channels: The Remnant Radio, Torn Curtain, Minor Prophets, Shane Winnings, Rita Springer, Julie Roys, The Dwayne and Jennifer Podcast, Wake Up and Win, The Green Room, and Leaving the Message.

If you haven’t read my introduction to the Puzzle of the Western Church and questions about Mike Bickle and IHOPKC, go back and read my first two articles on Substack by clicking the links at the end of this article.

Subscribe to Rachael Steel’s Substack for more background on the IHOPKC culture!

Questions re: IHOP culture

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