J. Lee Grady
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When Church Leaders Fail, How Do We Respond?
It was sad enough when leaders of the International House of Prayer cut ties with founder Mike Bickle last December because of a sexual scandal involving Bickle and at least two women. Then on June 9 of this year, veteran pastor Tony Evans of 10,000-member Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, stepped down from
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COVER STORY: It’s Time for an Honest Apology to Women
When I first heard about the sexual scandal involving Mike Bickle and the International House of Prayer in Kansas City back in December, my initial reaction was defensive. I’ll admit I didn’t want to believe the charges made by “Jane Doe,” one of the alleged victims. My thoughts went in this direction: “Maybe this was a
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It’s Time for All Fathers to Step Up Their Game
Last week I stood in front of 50 inmates inside a prison in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, and shared a message about the prodigal son from Luke’s Gospel. The men ranged in age from early 20s to late 70s. When I talked about how much the generous father loved his prodigal son—in spite of his disappointing
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If You’re Called to Ministry, There’s a Price to Pay
I served the Lord as a journalist for many years before God called me into the ministry. And I ran from that call for a while, mostly because of my fears. It didn’t help when I examined the lives of the ministers I knew. It was obvious they paid a high price. Ministry isn’t glamorous,
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The ‘Butcher of Tehran’ Is Dead—and Iran’s Church Keeps Growing
The president of Iran is dead. Ebrahim Raisi, also known by millions of Iranians as “the butcher of Tehran” because of his record of brutality, was killed in a helicopter crash on May 19 in eastern Iran. The next day in New York, members of the United Nations Security Council stood for a moment of
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Paul Spoke in Tongues—So Why Are We Afraid of This Gift?
Two years ago when I was preaching at a church in Florida, a boy named Roczen was filled with the Holy Spirit during a revival service. He was only about 5 years old. But a week later he felt such boldness that he asked his pastor if he could pray for the entire church. When
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In the Debate About Immigrants, Don’t Forget Compassion
My friend Dawit (not his real name) is a 33-year-old immigrant from the troubled nation of Eritrea. When he was a teenager, he and his 11 siblings walked more than eight hours to the Sudanese border to escape the communist country. Eventually, in 2010, Dawit and his family arrived in the United States to seek
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God Didn’t Shut Off the Power of Pentecost
I was raised a Southern Baptist, and then at age 18 I had a Pentecostal experience while I was still a Baptist. People jokingly refer to me now as a “Bapticostal” because they consider this to be a strange combination of doctrines. That’s because many Baptists are cessationists. They believe the gifts of the Holy
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Before You Ask God for a Word, Be Willing to Say Yes
God loves to speak to us. Psalm 85:8 (NASB) says: “I will hear what God the Lord will say; for He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones.” At the right time, the Lord offers a fresh word for us that can bring strength, guidance, confirmation or correction. There have been countless
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Mandisa Is With Jesus Now, Singing the Highest Praise
If you are in crisis, please call 988 or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You are not alone. On the surface, contemporary Christian singer Mandisa was the epitome of success. She became a musical star after her appearance on “American Idol” in 2006, and she won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Album in 2014. But those who read her
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Americans Are Cheering for Terrorists? The World Is Upside Down
On Sunday morning of this week Iran launched more than 300 rockets and drones to destroy Israel. But Israeli forces intercepted 99% of the weapons—and an ominous silence fell on the region as Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu weighed his options about when and how to retaliate. In times past, the United States would have offered
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Solar Eclipse Is Proof of a Loving Creator
I’m not a doomsday guy. I know some Christians who viewed this week’s solar eclipse as a sign of the end times, but I wasn’t worried about it, for two reasons: 1) there are two solar eclipses every three years somewhere on the planet; and 2) Jesus said He isn’t coming back until we finish
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The IHOP Scandal Has Exposed a Deep Need for Repentance
When I first heard about the sexual scandal involving Mike Bickle and the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri, in December, my initial reaction was defensive. I didn’t want to believe the charges. But I cringed on Dec. 12, 2023, when Bickle released his own confession. And my heart sank when details surfaced
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The Agony Jesus Felt on the Cross Was Real
When the movie “The Passion of the Christ” was released 20 years ago, Hollywood insiders mocked it because it offered an extremely bloody depiction of Jesus’ torture and death. Regardless of what you think of director Mel Gibson, he did a masterful job of capturing the brutality of a first-century Roman execution. I know some
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There’s a Big Difference Between Prophecy and Manipulation
I love the gift of prophecy, and the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:1 that we should desire to use it. I love to see people strengthened and encouraged by a personal word from God. But spiritual gifts, much like guns, can be misused—and when prophecy is misfired it always hurts people. That’s why
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