Most of you are by now aware of two messages recently delivered by Lisa Bickle Stribling. If you haven’t seen them, they are available on numerous public websites and podcasts. My wife and I have known Lisa and her husband, Ray, for many years. We greatly appreciate the work they have done in ministering to the homeless, the poor, and especially to recovering addicts.

 That being said, I was deeply disappointed in what she said at Hope City Church in Kansas City. This is not the Lisa that my wife and I have known. I can only speculate on what motivated her to say the things she did. I pray that she will repent for what she has said and recognize the pain her words have caused the victim’s of her brother’s misconduct.

 Below are two statements released in the aftermath of her comments. The first is from Jono Hall, one of principal leaders of the Advocate Group. This is followed by comments from Ron Cantor. Both men have given me permission to cite their words. Read them prayerfully.

 First, Jono Hall.

 We are deeply troubled by the recent public statement made by Lisa Stribling, leader of Hope City and sister of Mike Bickle, regarding the allegations surrounding her brother and the International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC). While we acknowledge the pain and loyalty that may drive Ms. Stribling’s words, we must address the troubling assertions in her message, which misrepresent the pursuit of truth and accountability as contrary to God’s will. Her claims merit a response.

 Lisa Stribling’s message clearly resonated with the community at Hope City. There is an element of what she said that keeps coming up amongst many in the wider IHOPKC and Christian community that I think needs some people to address, and that is some pretty common misunderstandings about sin and repentance. This isn’t just a local issue; it’s widespread among Christians today. I can certainly picture the audience at Hope City (an inner city mission with addicts and former criminals): some know about Mike’s failures, and they are sitting there thinking, “I’ve done worse than Mike ever did. If God can’t forgive him, what hope is there for me?” This leads the audience to a big question: "What sins can God forgive?" The correct answer they are given is simple but profound: There is no sin that God cannot forgive. Jesus’ blood covers even the worst offenses, offering forgiveness to you, to me, and yes, even to Mike. This commensurately (but wrongly) means that anyone who says anything that brings up the past sins of someone else is acting like a self-righteous Pharisee and should, as Lisa says, "Knock it off". If God has washed away your sin and shame, who has the right to investigate or to dig up the past? The Bible says it clearly: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12) and “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more” (Isaiah 43:25). However this fear of whether I can receive God's forgiveness has been weaponized for leaders to evade responsibility and it shows a profound misunderstanding around the issues of sin, repentance and forgiveness that ultimately destroys Christian communities.

 Let’s unpack this carefully, leaning on Scripture as we go.

1. God Can and Does Forgive Every Possible Sin

 The Bible leaves no doubt: God’s mercy is vast. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We don’t earn this forgiveness—it’s a gift through Jesus’ sacrifice. This isn’t a free pass to keep sinning; it’s a call to surrender, to live with gratitude and pursue a holy life. No matter what you’ve done, Jesus’ blood gives you hope. But bottom line, God can and does forgive every manner of sin; however, there are other things that the Bible has to say about sin and communal sin, and this truth about God's amazing grace needs to be held in tension with what follows.

 2. Sin Has Consequences in This Life (not just for eternity)

 Even when God forgives, sin often leaves a mark in this world. Look at David: after his sin with Bathsheba, Nathan told him, “The Lord has taken away your sin” (2 Samuel 12:13). But David still lost his child and faced family and national turmoil. Paul puts it bluntly: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7-8). Think about Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11). If they hadn’t died on the spot, they might have shown remorse, but they couldn’t escape the fallout. Even in crimes like theft or murder, you can repent and find forgiveness from God and others, but that doesn’t mean you dodge earthly consequences. These aren’t signs of God’s anger—they’re part of His way of bringing redemption, teaching us to trust Him to mend what’s broken.

 3. Repentance Is a Process

 For sin to be forgiven, repentance is paramount. Repentance isn’t just saying “pressing delete” and moving on. It starts with seeing your sin for what it is, an offense against God Himself. David cried out, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (Psalm 51:4). Next, you turn away from that sin, what the Bible calls metanoia—a complete change of heart and direction (Ezekiel 18:30-31). Then comes confession, not just to God but to those you’ve hurt. “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16). In serious cases, like abuse, this might mean confessing to family, your church, or even authorities if it’s a crime, to promote healing and accountability. Finally, repentance shows itself in changed actions. John the Baptist said, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8). Zacchaeus is a prime example of this kind of restitution for those he wronged; he repaid four times over, and Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:8-9). True repentance transforms you and helps heal those you’ve hurt.

4. Repentance Isn’t Just Private

 Repentance can’t be boiled down to a quiet prayer and a quick apology, especially when your sin deeply affects others. Imagine someone who commits murder thinking a private “sorry” to God and the victim’s family is enough. That’s not repentance, it’s avoiding responsibility. Using the need for forgiveness to dodge accountability cheapens grace and adds to the harm. The Bible calls for repentance that matches the seriousness of the sin, involving your heart, the people you’ve hurt, and the wider community in a journey toward healing.

 5. Public Sin Needs Public Repentance

 When your sin impacts others, your family, your church, it calls for public repentance. This isn’t about shaming you; it’s about the health of God’s people. Jesus laid it out in Matthew 18:15-17: start by addressing sin privately, but if that doesn’t work, bring it to the church to restore the person and protect the community. The Essenes at Qumran had a Community Rule akin to Jesus' teaching in Matt 18 - but these strict rules kicked out wrongdoers for good in a process between the individual wrongdoer and the elders without working it through with the community. Jesus’ way is way more redemptive, aiming to restore the person to a relationship with God and the community, but this also comes with the need for a communal approach, which for many is the worst part. Public confession isn’t the worst punishment—it’s a step toward saving the individual, safeguarding the church, and honoring God.

 6. Exposure Isn’t Sin; It’s Biblical

 Scripture is clear: sin in the church, especially among leaders, needs to be addressed openly. Matthew 18:15-17 says to “tell it to the church” if someone won’t repent. For leaders, 1 Timothy 5:19-20 says, “Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.” This isn’t about punishment, it’s about protecting the church and keeping trust. Early Christians like Origen saw this as a way to restore, not reject, the sinner. It’s how God keeps His church honest and holy (Ephesians 3:10).

 7. Exposure Leads to Redemption

 Exposure isn’t the fruit of a vengeful offended heart; instead, it’s the path to healing. It pushes sinners to own their actions, seek forgiveness, and start over, while also honoring those who were hurt. David’s public confession in Psalm 51 didn’t just restore him, it’s been encouraging believers for centuries. Jonathan Edwards saw public confession spark revivals, not fights. Done with love, exposure breaks through denial, building a church where grace and truth come together (John 1:17) for everyone’s good.

 8. Exposing Sin Isn’t Demonic

 Calling out sin isn’t the same as the devil’s accusations, which aim to destroy (Revelation 12:10). The Bible tells us to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). When Paul publicly corrected Peter’s hypocrisy (Galatians 2:11-14), it kept the church united. Early Christians openly addressed false teachings to protect the truth. This isn’t “cancel culture”—it’s bringing sin into the light (John 3:19-21) so God’s mercy can heal what’s broken.

 Final Thoughts

 The gospel doesn’t let us sweep sin under the rug. It calls us to face it with courage and love, trusting God’s grace to redeem both the sinner and the church. Let’s cling to the cross, where confession and forgiveness meet, and let the church shine as a beacon of God’s restoring love.

 And now, Ron Cantor.

 Today #LisaBickle, sister of #MikeBickle, declared him restored:

 “Those that are wanting to have [Mike Bickle] in your congregations should feel free to do so without any further harassment.”

 “I am saying this very, very strongly, it is over. I'm not asking anybody's permission ... The pardon has been issued by God himself to Mike and to the church.”

 This was a supposed prophetic directive from God to the church. "I am speaking on God's behalf," she said. Let me share why I reject it:

 1. She has a massive conflict of interest. She is Mike's sister, and her church has been a recipient of his generosity (I believe).

 2. She is alone. Issues like this are handled by a council of leaders in the NT (see Acts 15, 1 Tim 5:19-20), not a single individual.

 3. She assumes that being pardoned for your sin means that there are no repercussions. Might I remind you that two of the accusations are of criminal behavior with minors? One was 14 and the other 15. This is typical sloppy theology that conflates restoration to the body of Christ with a right to be restored to the pulpit. Paul said those who were undisciplined with their bodies would be disqualified (1 Cor 9:27).

4. Mike Bickle was credibly accused by 17 women, according to a professional trauma-informed investigator. Mike Bickle has not repented of or even acknowledged any of these accusations except for a couple, and that only after seeking to gaslight at least one of his survivors into silence. "That would constitute the greatest betrayal of my life from one of my dearest friends," he wrote to one of his survivors, seeking to keep her and her husband quiet.

5. Mike Bickle used prophecy, not only, according to the investigation, to manipulate young women sexually, but also to try and manipulate the body of Christ, according to IHOPKC leadership, on October 13 and 20th, by faking a prophecy that accusations were going to come against him—when in fact, they had already come privately. He has not repented for this.

 "His predatory and abusive actions are sick and violate the Word of God, the marriage covenant, and holiness; we condemn them in their entirety ... We realize that Mike’s two Friday night messages on October 13th and 20th were manipulative attempts to construct a narrative of innocence concerning himself." — IHOPKC statement on Feb 8, 2024.

7. Ignoring passages, such as Matt. 18:15-17, 1 Cor 5:12-13 and 1 Tim 5:19-20, which speak of dealing with sexual sins (and others), of leaders (and others), publicly, when they do not repent, she declares: "It's none of our business about things that happened in people's lives, and what they tell and don't tell." Actually, there are standards for leaders, and we sign up for a stricter judgment (James 3:1). She cannot be speaking for God and against his word at the same time.

8. She says that the narrative about Mike Bickle is a false narrative. You have to understand that in IHOPKC-culture or Bickle-culture, the word narrative is not equal to truth. He told survivor Deborah Perkins and her husband in an email in 2023, the narrative of his indiscretions, which he confessed to, "is not the narrative I believe that God has..." It would seem that this is a similar theology to his sister's, that he has been pardoned for his alleged criminal behavior and cleared for ministry. Those who seek to hold him accountable are believing a narrative that God has forgotten.

 9. "The pardon has been issued by God himself to Mike." So you just bypass New Testament leadership and declare yourself pardoned? That is not how it works. Mike Bickle needs to submit himself to a legitimate council of leaders.

10. "This story, and stories like it, should never be investigated by the church," says Lisa Bickle. Paul, on the other hand, says, "Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses." Over 200 people spoke to the investigator!

11. "Whether it is true or not, does not matter," claims Lisa Bickle. "That is a demand that secular society has placed on the church, and the church is now answering secular society about the blood of Jesus." The police would disagree, as would Paul in Romans 13. We are subject to the secular authorities for criminal behavior.

For those reasons and others, I reject this as a word from God. The Bible tells us to test prophecy. At no point does Lisa Bickle say that she is submitting this to the Church to be tested. Instead, with an offended tone, she is rebuking the Church for seeking to hold her brother accountable for sexual sin, and that, allegedly, against minors.