But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, - Matthew 5:44 (ESV)
It seems the Charismatic kingmakers over at Charisma News got caught defending the indefensible when Mike Bickle admitted what they had been so desperately trying to defend him against and now it is time for CYA mode. Steven Strang said recently that he is not defending Mike Bickle amidst the accusations and now admissions of guilt on Bickle's part. Yes, you are Steven. Strang even went as far as to declare that Bickle was exonerated a few weeks back only to have Bickle confound that by confessing, sort of. Larry Tomczak also boldly said he stood with the man credibly accused of sexual and spiritual manipulation a few weeks back but after the Bickle confession he is now moonwalking away, while discussing "restoration" by offering up the examples of David and Moses. Except Mike Bickle is not David or Moses. He is Mike Bickle. He is the same false prophet he was before he was accused of prophetically manipulating a 19-year-old sheep into bed for a four-year sexual affair while he was a married 42-year-old minister. Bickle was also however a powerful force in the false teacher NAR church as leader of IHOP and the brand does not give up its own easy because he is a proven money maker. So Strang and his minions have set out to defame the former IHOP leaders who brought the accusations to light. They have also smeared the victims by proffering the notion that this was all about people not liking Mike and an ugly church split. Except it wasn't. They claimed to want accountability and an outside agency to investigate. Except they didn't. Instead, they lawyered up. Every one from Dr. Brown to the lowest Charisma News sycophants had their talking points. Bickle was just a poor old holiness preacher unfairly maligned by former leaders who secretly wanted all the IHOP power. The victims? Oh, they had all recanted, right? Wrong. Oh, and that one really credible story about the four-year manipulation? C'mon, that was 20 years ago! Doesn't Jesus have a statute of limitations on sin? No, He does not. A funny thing happened on the way to these defenses. Mike Bickle disagreed. Well, kinda. He had a lawyer draft a slimy response where he tried to admit something nebulous to avoid anything specific. Let us reason through this faux-apology as we are led to believe the true victim here, is Mike Bickle.
"To my Family and Friends, With a very heavy heart I want to express how deeply grieved I am that my past sins have led to so much pain, confusion, and division in the body of Christ in this hour. I sadly admit that 20+ years ago, I sinned by engaging in inappropriate behavior"my moral failures were real. (I am not admitting to the more intense sexual activities that some are suggesting). I hate my sin and I see it as serious and grievous before a holy God. I take all sin seriously, so on those occasions I quickly and sincerely repented in a way that resulted in receiving assurance from God followed by a daily resolve to live holy in all of my ways. God graciously helped me to respond in those times with a broken and contrite heart that was filled with godly sorrow. To this day, I remain sorrowful about those past failures." - Mike Bickle
So, let us start with the obvious. The pain, confusion and division may have originated from past sins but they themselves are not causing the current tumult. Mike Bickle is and his minions attacking the victims and playing word salad games with the truth. Also, as Boz Tchividjian said, what the heck is "inappropriate behavior?" in the first two lines we see Bickle describing his actions as sin, inappropriate behaviors, and moral failures. This is done intentionally to muddy the waters. Then to further the confusion he is causing; he tries to parse everything out. He sinned but not "the more intense sexual activities" some are suggesting? Which ones? What are you confessing to and what are you denying Mike? Note the admission of this being 20 years ago continues the pattern where they are trying to minimize the sin by reminding us it was so long ago. As if that matters. Not to mention that Bickle went on to build his empire at IHOP DURING this alleged four-year sexual manipulation. Note the absurd spiritual manipulation he then engages in. We are supposed to believe that Bickle repented back then and was personally assured by God Himself, that all was forgiven? What was this assurance? Or is this another prophetic manipulation where we just accept that God showed up in his room and said, "attaboy Mike, don't you worry none." Just consider the staggering arrogance here. He stands credibly accused of sexual and prophetic misconduct. The individual matter he is referring to is claimed by the victim to have lasted four years yet he says he repented "quickly." Then to dismiss any concern about why he buried this secret for the past few decades he just wants us to accept at face value that he was assured by Jesus that it was no biggee? Who are you claiming you responded to with a broken and contrite heart? Your family? Your wife? The victim? When David was filled with godly sorrow he still lost his kingdom, his child and had another kid rebel against him. Mike Bickle just moved on to become a millionaire with an international ministry based on the one thing he never seemed to personally have - holiness. It seems Mike is more sorrowful this came out at all.
"I am anguished that my past sins have caused great pain for my wife and family along with the IHOPKC family, and others. I am deeply sorry that my sin put the IHOPKC leadership and community in a very painful and difficult position. I asked my family for forgiveness. I now ask for forgiveness from the IHOPKC family and many in the body of Christ." - Mike Bickle
As most narcissistic cult of personality pastors this is all about Mike. Did you notice who was missing here in his apology tour? HIS VICTIMS! How about the great pain you caused multiple women over four decades? How about the woman whose innocence you stole at 19 when you were married? How about how you continued to manipulate her while starting IHOP? Please, save me the pious bemoaning. Which leadership are you sorry for? The current one that hired the best personal lawyers in KC to defend you or the former leaders you worked decades with that all your Charisma News buddies are defaming? Realize beloved that here we have the textbook confusion about forgiveness in the body of Christ. Mike Bickle needs to ask forgiveness from his victims and Christ. He can ask it of those he spiritually defrauded over the past forty years as well but that has nothing to do with getting his old job back. That is forfeited according the scripture. He also needs to ask forgiveness for decades of false teaching, making kids pray in his 24-7 sham so they could get college credit, eastern mysticism, covering up the Bethany Deaton murder, defending the IHOP minister who had admitted sexually abusing a teen at his former church and a myriad of other transgressions against the cause of Jesus Christ. He will not do that however because this is only about him getting past these allegations so he can get back into the NAR Industrial Complex. This is offered here because anyone who dares to stand against his "restoration" will be labeled as unforgiving when they have nothing to do with each other.
"Some may wonder why I am just now making a public statement 20+ years later? It is because I was recently confronted about things that I said or did 20+ years ago"things I believed were dealt with and under the blood of Jesus. Since this has now become public, I want to repent publicly. On October 28, 2023, I wrote the first draft of this statement but at that very same time, false allegations of sexual abuse were being circulated against me. I was given legal advice to wait to make my statement public for several important reasons"including creating the misunderstanding that I was confessing to the false allegations that were circulating. I am very sorry that it took so long for this personal statement to come out. This delay created additional pain, anguish, division, and more for so many people that I love. I am deeply sorry for this.
