Destruction and Hope Come Hand in Hand
I look around and I see so much destruction. So much has been lost, families torn apart, friendships severed, all because of the wickedness of a few men and women.
If ever there needed to be an example of the consequences of sin and wickedness, look no further than Kansas City.
The actions of a few have decimated an entire community filled with mostly good people. And the ones responsible probably won’t end up in an orange jumpsuit, much to my chagrin.
Over this past week, I’ve been again confronted with the two-facedness of so many people that I once loved and admired. This isn’t anything new, but the report forced me to confront those feelings once again. Again, I ask myself, “How can someone do that?”
The IHOP community and beyond have been torn in two, with two clearly marked sides. No one can stand in the middle anymore.
When I look at the pain and destruction, I just think how different things would have been if the group of actually guilty men and women came forward and repented. And I mean really repented, not some pathetic script admitting to only what you’ve been caught for. I want real repentance accompanied by the fruits of repentance. What a different story this would be. Of course, this would not exonerate anyone of their wrongdoing, but it would bring healing to an entire community of victims and good people.
Our God is a merciful God who is slow to anger, but I guess He waited long enough for people to come forward and repent. When they refused, He decided to expose. Surprise, surprise.
It’s really easy for me to get bogged down in the intense details and the unending list of wrongdoing that I forget to look up and see the light.
Yes, there’s been utter devastation and shocking wickedness over the last year and a half. But I’ve seen some amazing things.
The courage of Deborah Perkins to come forward as the first Jane Doe is unparalleled. She embraced courage and it changed the world. Her courage begot courage in others. Since she came forward, countless other victims have come forward with their stories not only about Mike Bickle but others in IHOP and other kingpins in the Western church.
It’s easy to overlook that, but Deborah coming forward is a beautiful act of courage and self-sacrifice that I don’t want to forget.
Tammy and TH embraced that same courage and came forward with their stories. Tammy confronted her own abuse head-on after reading Deborah’s account. TH woke up to the depth of abuse hearing the other victims tell their stories.
I have seen so much good and so much light in the face of tremendous darkness. Thank you God.
I have seen many, many godly and righteous people stand up for these victims. It cost them more than anyone will ever know. My own family has suffered and lost so much. Members of the Advocate Group have put their lives on hold and poured hundreds of hours into pursuing justice. All the “armchair” investigators spent hundreds of hours advocating for victims and searching for the truth with no promise of anything in return.
God really is moving amongst His people.
I see hope.
It’s so easy to get bogged down by the intensity and darkness of everything, especially when you live in Kansas City. It’s hard to move on when you have to drive by the prayer room on your way to work or are confronted by the fact that half of your once close friends won’t talk to you anymore.
This is hard, this is intense, this is dark. But it’s not hopeless. There is light.
I don’t think we’re ever going to get the justice that we all want on this side of eternity. I want to see a long line of people in orange jumpsuits. But I don’t think I will.
I find comfort, however, in the fact that standing before God is the great equalizer. Every man and woman will be judged by God. And I pray that those who have abused, covered up, lied, and manipulated repent before they stand before God.
He is jealous for His people and He will bring justice. We might not see it here, but we’ll get it in the end.
I don’t really have an organized, in-depth article today. Just my own ramblings.
I am so proud of the victims who have come forward either publicly or to the investigator. Their courage is astounding to me. I won’t forget it. It brings me hope and reminds me of the light all around that I just have to look up and see.
Justice will always come knocking at the end.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and "ramblings." I believe I'll be in this journey processing everything about IHOPKC and the Western Charismatic Church for a long time (having spent 4 decades in the Vineyard/IHOPKC worlds)... There was soooo much good, but I was definitely blinded to the fact that there was ANY hidden darkness. Waking up to that reality as I've slowly learned more about abuse that has been covered within the Church for the sake of preserving image and reputation for seemingly Scriptural reasons. It is difficult to reconcile the truth of God's Word in light of the harm caused by its misuse. I believe in His forgiveness and view of us as righteous through His blood, but somehow the Church has failed to equip leaders on how to bring sin into the light, especially when it affects others. Confessing a habitual or addictive sin pattern to God alone or even a spouse is not adequate when it involves any firm of abuse. The Church needs to address THIS, not just focus on God's grace and pardon while enabling leaders to continue in addictive sin. I hope you and other leaders will explore this topic and help to educate the body of Christ in training up the next generation to expose sin in the beginning stages, step away from leadership to seek healing and freedom, etc... There's just so much to unpack. I'm starting to read the book "Emotionally Healthy Spiritually," and it explains a bit of how we got here after the Jesus movement... Thank you for your commitment to seek healing for the body of Christ and those of us affected by the fallout of the IHOPKC crisis!!!