Mike Bickle has plotted, planned, and perfected his reentry into HIS ministry. Now, with the second anniversary of the public revelation of his sins, the stage is being set for his comeback. His return will be framed as a story of redemption. Expect to hear repeated comparisons to King David — David’s fallen tabernacle, a man after God’s own heart, the restoration after David’s sexual sin with Bathsheba. Expect reminders that at least Mike didn’t commit murder along the way.
His sister, Liza Bickle Stribling, has already declared her “thus saith the Lord” endorsement from the pulpit. Rick Joyner is signaling his support. Stephen Strang, the editor and owner of Charisma Magazine, is eager to see a comeback narrative. Some wealthy donors want their investment salvaged. The current Chairman of the Board, Retired Major General Kurt Fuller, appears to be among those open to Mike’s return. And of course, there are still loyal IHOPKC alumni and current participants waiting for his leadership.
The chorus of voices for his return is growing—family, allies, media, donors, and even some in IHOPKC’s own leadership. For them, IHOPKC is in trouble, it needs a savior, and there is only one candidate: Mike Bickle himself. This is not the humility of a broken man; it is the narcissism of a leader with a savior complex, still believing the movement cannot survive without him, still believing he is “the anointed one” to lead the worldwide prayer movement. Always needing to be in the spotlight. And to bolster the narrative, expect selective appeals to David’s story—especially where David said of King Saul, “Do not touch the Lord’s anointed.” Only this time, Mike will have his allies flip the script and have that line applied to himself.
Public Voices on Mike Bickle’s “Restoration”
Support / Encouragement for Mike’s Return
- Rick Joyner (MorningStar Ministries) – June 3, 2025: “His time’s not up… I’m believing for Mike’s full restoration without penalty.”
- Lisa Bickle Stribling (sister; Hope City KC) – Aug. 2025 sermons: called the allegations “a false narrative” and “exotic trash,” describing Mike as “the most integrous… righteous man that we know.”
- Stephen Strang (Charisma Magazine) – editorial framing of allegations as a “spiritual attack” and hope that Bickle would re-emerge stronger.
- Ret. Maj. Gen. Kurt Fuller (IHOPKC Board Chair) – July 2024 internal meeting: “People ganged up on a guy… Mike Bickle should be restored… a massive asset to the kingdom.”
- Tikkun International’s Pastoral Recommendation Team – 2024 recommendations left open a pathway for informal ministry, interpreted by many as a green light toward restoration.
So my question is: is this scenario a real possibility? If so, are you ready for the return of Mike Bickle? And since Mike has a history of changing names and rebranding whenever things go wrong, is that what will happen this time—IHOPKC renamed, a new identity crafted, the same man behind it all? How do you feel about this? I’d like to hear your thoughts.
The Lord is rebuilding His church in Kansas City, and elsewhere. The signal that this rebuilding had begun was the fall of high-profile leaders. Mike Bickle built on the foundation laid by others before him. But he built with hay, wood, and stubble — and Scripture says such works will be burned away (1 Corinthians 3:12–13). The burning has begun.
Like Nehemiah inspecting the broken walls by night, the Spirit is surveying the ruins of a church culture built on personalities rather than on Christ. We are at the early stages of rebuilding. So why would the Lord allow Mike Bickle to come back on the scene? What is He exposing? What is He teaching His people?
When the Father told me in 1972 that He would fully restore apostles and prophets in the last days, I had no idea the counterfeit would come first. In the 1980s we saw it through Bob Jones, the Kansas City Prophets, and later the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR). Bob Jones even heard my teaching on this before the counterfeit appeared. The Father warned me that most of the church would miss the true restoration for the same reason most of the Jews missed His Son: they expected something different from what God had actually sent.
So I believe the Lord will allow Mike Bickle and the false church to arise alongside the true church. It will be a wheat-and-tares moment. Jesus said He did not come to bring peace but a sword (Matthew 10:34). Paul said divisions must come so that those who are genuine may be recognized (1 Corinthians 11:19). Soon we will see who chooses the true, and who clings to the false.
Now, let me explain the dual meaning of my title: Mercy For Me and Not For Thee.
For Mike Bickle and his defenders, mercy without repentance means mercy for him — but not for his victims.
For some believers who wrote me after my last article, Autopsy of Mike Bickle’s IHOPKC, mercy means forgiveness for themselves but no mercy for Bickle. “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us,” got lost in the magnitude of Mike Bickle’s sins. Both approaches miss the point. God’s mercy is not selective self-protection; it is mercy grounded in truth, repentance, and justice. Anything less is counterfeit mercy.
Is Mike Bickle saved? Did he have a genuine salvation experience and later lose it? Can someone be born again and still function as a false apostle, prophet, or even as a wolf in sheep’s clothing? And is there a Scriptural difference between sexual sin and sexual abuse?
These were some of the questions raised in response to my article, “Autopsy of Mike Bickle’s IHOPKC.” They go to the heart of how we apply Scripture to fallen leaders—or for that matter, to anyone. Here is how one reader put it:
“I add a thought that seems to be lacking in this message, which on the whole seems Biblically grounded but for one glaring issue—am I correct in that you keep referring to Mike Bickle’s con artistry and predatory behavior as ‘sexual sin’? It seems as if you think this man to be a fallen Christian rather than a false apostle and a wolf in shepherd’s clothing?”
Their concern is valid, but it also reflects how blurred our categories have become when it comes to sin, salvation, and sanctification. This question, and others like it, point to something larger than Mike Bickle—or any disgraced leader. They expose the widespread misunderstanding of how Scripture addresses these issues.
In my next article on Sin, Salvation, and Sanctification, I will unpack the Scriptural categories of fallen believers, false apostles, and wolves in sheep’s clothing—and why confusing them leaves the church vulnerable to deception. This is the great deception—when Satan is permitted to unleash his full complement of false leaders. As Jesus Himself warned: “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24).
Stay discerning. More on this soon.
—Rick