On Oct. 29, 2023, my friend Elizabeth Herder called me up, and I can still remember walking around our apartment building complex in Ashkelon as she explained to me that Mike Bickle had been credibly accused in several cases of clergy sexual abuse. As soon as she told me, I knew it was true. No, it wasn't prophetic. It was science. Ninety-two to ninety-eight percent of sexual abuse allegations end up being true. When there are multiple claims, it's even higher.
Over the next year and a half, I saw her and her friends fight for justice and get pummeled. I remember days when they thought they might not see the justice that so many of the victims were longing for—and had spoken out about at significant personal cost.
Because of this, I could not help but weep through the video above. I am so honored and proud to call Elizabeth a friend, as well as Allen Hood, Dwayne Roberts, Jono Hall, Samuel Hood and Wes Martin. The video is a panel discussion led by Julie Roys. She is interviewing Deborah Perkins (AKA Jane Doe #1), Tammy Woods, and the aforementioned Elizabeth Herder. Deborah and Tammy were both teenage victims of Mike Bickle. Tammy was 14 when Bickle began to groom her. Recently, the Firefly report was released that revealed the results of the investigation into Bickle and several leaders from IHOPKC. The findings vindicated Bickle’s victims and those advocates who stood with them and told their stories.
To be clear, the report was far from perfect, and we are fighting to get that rectified. But in terms of Mike Bickle, it was a slam dunk! And make no mistake: Seventeen victims came forward. But how many didn't? How many are still victims of his abuse? God only knows—and that fact alone should be terrifying to Mike Bickle. The silence from IHOPKC's board is not unexpected.
Please take the time to watch this video. Thank you, Julie Roys, for hosting this and honoring Elizabeth and Allen and others who fought hard for justice for the victims of Bickle and other IHOPKC leaders. I have to believe that God timed the release of the report with Roys’s Restore Conference, which focuses on clergy sexual abuse.
Please watch this video! It will make you a better human being.
“Speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves” (Prov. 31:8).
Hostage Release Update:
While President Trump called for all of the remaining hostages to be released by noon tomorrow, Hamas has announced that it will be releasing three more male hostages. I hope the president keeps up the pressure.
Sagui Dekel-Chen, Sasha Troufanov, and Iair Horn will come home to Israel tomorrow after nearly 500 days in Hamas captivity. Dekel-Chen will see his daughter for the first time tomorrow, who was born after he was taken captive. Israelis were shocked last week when three men were released and appeared emaciated. That prompted President Trump’s demand that Hamas release all the prisoners. President Trump has also suggested that America take charge of the rehabilitation of Gaza and allow people in Gaza to move to Egypt or Jordan.
The plan was quickly rejected by both the president of Egypt and the king of Jordan, but the Trump administration has kept up the pressure, even reportedly threatening to slash USA support to Egypt’s military if they don’t agree. If you look at your map, you will see the massive Sinai Desert, just below Israel, has room for as many Gazans that would want to relocate there.
Egypt’s reluctance has very little to do with the human rights of those in Gaza. No one would be forced to relocate. But Egypt does not want the responsibility to govern them. A little secret to those in the West is that Palestinians are treated as second-class by the rest of the Arab world. It’s not a shock that Egypt and Jordan do not want them.
Please continue to pray that all of the hostages will be released as soon as possible. Pray for every living hostage that they survive until they are released, as the conditions are quite difficult.
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