Here’s a quick rundown of the top stories on mycharisma.com:
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 false accusation? The church doesn’t need another embarrassing scandal. The devil is a liar!
But I cringed on Dec. 12, 2023, when Bickle released his own confession. His victim had suffered for years, but she finally mustered the courage to speak out. Then we learned there were more victims, revealing a sick game of manipulation and control. My heart sank when details surfaced about another woman who had been involved with Bickle in his earlier years as a youth pastor.
It became obvious that there had been a disturbing pattern of sexual abuse at IHOP, and with it, a pattern of hiding that abuse.
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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 times when I was famished for a word from God, and when He spoke it came like a drink of cold water in the desert.
But there’s a right way and a wrong way to seek God for His direction. I’ve seen Christians line up in front of prophets, hoping for a quick solution to their problems. I’ve also seen those same Christians stand in line a second time in front of the same prophets because they didn’t like the word they received the first time.
Prophecy is a legitimate spiritual gift, and we are instructed to desire it earnestly in 1 Corinthians 14:1. But we should never abuse or misuse this precious gift. Here are some guidelines that will help you:
We Dare Not Squander This Moment
We are living today in one of the most critical moments in American history.
How we respond today will go a long way in determining the future of our nation—or whether our nation even continues to exist as the United States of America. That’s why the title of my October 2021 book was Revival or We Die: A Great Awakening Is Our Only Hope. There was no hyperbole in the title and no exaggeration in the subtitle. I believed then and believe now that, without a sweeping revival in the church that leads to a national awakening, America as we know it is doomed. We will either continue to fall into moral and spiritual confusion, ultimately crashing and burning, or we will break up entirely as a nation, pulling apart at the seams. Either way, without revival, we are in very critical condition.
But here’s the catch. Revival alone will not get the job done. Revival alone will not turn the tide. It must be a revival in the church that leads to a reformation in the society—an outpouring that leads to awakening. Otherwise, to repeat, we are doomed. A powerful revival movement, without a national awakening, would just delay the inevitable or, worse still, simply make us more accountable. It really is revival and awakening or we die. Or do we really think that the right political candidate or the latest social program will solve our problems and cure our ills? Not a chance.
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