It’s been a difficult week hearing about the allegations brought against Mike Bickle. Even as one of IHOPKC’s “international family of affection” 4,000 miles away and part of the Isaiah 62 global family of ministries, this devastating news still hits hard. I can’t think of any one man whose life and ministry have impacted my life and inspired me to love God, pursue holiness and purity, walk in humility, and give myself for the purposes of God for this generation more than Mike Bickle.
A few hours ago, IHOPKC leadership released an updated statement at their Sunday service about these allegations, stating one allegation which dates back 26 years holds some credibility, while other ones remain hard to verify due to their anonymity or third-party representation. Some of the women named in the allegations have also publicly refuted the claims that they were ever abused, and “denounced the representatives of the alleged victim group for using their names without permission.” A law firm has been hired to conduct independent investigations.
The truth is, we can’t say either way. But whatever happens, whatever Mike did or didn’t do, the dynamic of the spirit of accusation in Revelation 12 is still real. There is an onslaught of the enemy seeking to discredit the prayer movement, and even if Mike is innocent, he has already been tried in the court of public opinion. Nothing about it will ever be the same again, and this is part of God shaking everything that can be shaken so that what cannot be shaken may remain (Heb. 12:27). We need to strengthen ourselves in the Lord and stand against this spirit of accusation that seeks to discredit what God is doing and what He is calling His people to at this time.
Mike spearheaded the largest mobilisation of prayer and fasting for the salvation of Israel back in May, not knowing that war would break out five months later. Five million believers around the globe fasted for 21 days for Israel; nothing of the kind has ever happened in the history of planet Earth. The entire demonic realm was caught off guard and stirred up. Mike essentially prepared the global Church to stand with Israel now. Two weeks into the war, the media narrative suddenly shifted against Israel, and antisemitic protests followed. The spirit of accusation was unleashed on a global level against Israel and against those standing with Israel, regardless of whether Mike is guilty or not.
It may be that Mike is innocent, as in the case of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife; or it may be that he’s guilty, as in the case of Joshua the High Priest, where Joshua’s garment was filthy, but the Lord rebuked Satan for his accusation. Everything about the timing of all this smells of a satanic assault that’s way bigger than Mike. We need to be discerning.
Revelation 12 is clear: we overcome the Accuser “by the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony, and we love not our lives even unto death.” (Rev. 12:11)
So, if Mike is innocent, he overcomes by the blood of the Lamb, the word of his testimony, and loving not his life even unto death; and if Mike is guilty, he can repent, and then overcome by the blood of the Lamb, the word of his testimony, and loving not his life even unto death. We need to be in agreement with this as the global Church and have this perspective if we don’t want to be distracted from our assignment of intercession and standing with Israel.
One of the greatest impacts of Mike’s ministry on my life is that success is not defined or measured by how big my ministry gets, how many people I bring to the faith, or how many people read my stuff, but by being a lover of God. He inspired me not to seek to walk in my “destiny” in my 20s, but have a vision of a vibrant prayer life and a burning heart in my 70s and stay steady with it. Mike always said that IHOPKC and the fulfilment of these prophecies were never his dream but only his assignment. His dream was to love the Lord God with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength; the anointing to live out the First Commandment. These are the kinds of teaching that impacted millions around the globe. This is the destiny of the end-time Bride—we get to love God and have the anointing to reciprocate His love with the same strength and intensity back to Him, and walk equally yoked with the Bridegroom. And this is also Mike Bickle’s destiny.
Mike may end up disqualified from a platform ministry, but he is not disqualified from the collective destiny of the end-time Church, his dream. No one alive will ever be disqualified from that. We cannot lose sight of this, not even over Mike Bickle. This truth breaks the power of the accuser, and it speaks to everyone: You are never disqualified from loving God—receiving His love and giving it back in return, and overflowing into loving others.
Two weeks ago, the Lord said to me, “I have taken the kingdom from Saul and given it to David”—meaning leaders in the body of Christ who carry the heart of Saul will lose the place of stewardship of the Kingdom of God. But those carrying the heart of David, weak and flawed, will come to the forefront. Not to say if one’s character is below the biblical standard of church leadership, they’ll still lead a church; but simply: if one does not have the heart of David, as men and women after God’s own heart, they will not survive the coming shaking.
Perhaps this whole ordeal is testing our response, and will just sift the Sauls out from the Davids.
