Turns out the real victim in Bicklegate is Misty Edwards, not a victim of Bickle mind you...

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One of the greatest harms done by such theological cesspools as IHOP is that it drags what should be fringe into the center, so as to appear acceptable. The reality is that very little of what has happened at IHOP, since it's bogus inception, should be vaguely acceptable to a discerning Christian. Instead, what we hear is that sure, Bickle was bad but that does not mean the 24-7 prayer has to go! Yes, yes it does. It became a gateway for even worse theology as escapees from IHOP have testified to. Kundalini, Easter Mysticism, and just recently a regular leader and false prophet in the Prayer Room now stands accused of sexual misconduct. A good buddy of Bickle's by the way. When Bicklegate was just exploding we heard a push back from IHOP worship leader Misty Edwards and many lifted her up as some bastion of moral centeredness amidst this rising sea of problems. Again, the fringe being dragged to the center. Misty Edwards has never been acceptable beloved. I do not blame her as she was taught by the now credibly accused and admitted sexual predator Mike Bickle. Is it any wonder then that Misty composed some of the ickiest faux worship this side of Rick "take me to Your chambers" Pino. Don't believe me? Here are three Misty Edwards examples of what passed for "worship" when IHOP was still a thing:

Song 1

I am lovesick, for my Beloved
My Beloved and my Friend
Only YOU can satisfy
Try as I may to chase another Lover
I find there is, there is no other
For only YOU can satisfy

Song 2

For God is a Lover
Looking for a lover so He fashioned me
God is a Lover
Looking for a lover so
He formed my heart
God is a Lover
Looking for a lover so He fashioned me
God is a Lover
Looking for a lover...

Song 3

Come be the fire inside of me
Come be the flame upon my heart
Come be the fire inside of me
Until You and I are one

Now I would hope this does not need further explanation but the sexualizing of God is not worship. It creates a false paradigm in the minds and hearts of churchgoers, especially impressionable young female worshippers. Lyrics like this are often couched with the assertion of how deeply people like Misty "love" God but this is not love. God is not looking for a lover. That was a John Cougar Mellencamp song I believe. We are to revere God, not strive to "be one with Him." Our worship of the Creator of the entire universe should not center on our being "satisfied."

That being said, Misty Edwards is an internationally recognized worship leader and Christian music celebrity. Although not verified, her net worth is estimated between one and five million dollars, which would align with her musical success. Who does she owe this success to? Mike Bickle. Edwards was one of the first five interns at IHOP and eventually became the worship leader, which she parlayed into the career she now enjoys. This is not to take anything away from her skill in the industry but if one was being honest, we would have to admit that it was only her involvement with Bickle that led to where she is today. According to Wikipedia, she was going to pursue a career as a lawyer before IHOP. Why is this important? Because she has obviously been one of the tireless advocates for Bickle since the Bicklegate story blew up and continues to this day. When the story first broke, she made a public statement that it had been reported that she was one of Bickle's victims and she wanted to make it clear she was not. This all seemed very suspicious even then as the names of Edwards and another Facebook poster seemed to be leaked by pro-Bickle folks who wanted to be able to cast doubt on the victims by pointing to Edwards as proof there was a problem within the victim group. The actual victim group however, has never verified that Edwards was even one of the alleged victims. To this day they have not. It appears now however, that Edwards feels compelled to muddy the waters some more, now that IHOP has cut off all ties with Bickle and he has admitted some guilt. The above link is to a statement she claims to be making along with five of the Jane Does, which again does not actually come from the victim group. In this statement, Misty tries her best to provide more cover for the disgraced Bickle, smears his victims, and tries to pretend that she is actually the real victim of this story - not of Bickle but of his accusers. Let us reason once more together.

'Many of us alleged Jane Does have been silent throughout the months of the three IHOPKC

investigations and difficult ordeal. While other voices have chosen to clamor loudly and insistently, we have maintained our silence, desiring to retain whatever measure of privacy of life we could that was left after our lives were invaded by the violating behavior of those involved in a calculated "Jane Doe" campaign that is being done in the name of "love, transparency, justice, and advocacy."' - Misty Edwards

I am sorry but Misty Edwards enjoys a tremendous career in the public spotlight. One trade off is you generally do not have the same expectation of privacy. That aside, the opening here is designed to smear the victims of Mike Bickle. She does this by referring to them as a "calculated" Jane Doe campaign and by mocking the notion that they approached this with love, transparency, justice and advocacy. She also starts with the unverified premise that she and whoever these unnamed other Jane Does are, were actually part of the original accusations. It would help if the victim's group would clarify but they are trying to represent the actual victims.

"While a narrative has been presented of many female victims whom the "advocate" group is

representing, the true story that has not come out is how many of those victims were involuntarily labelled that and had narratives constructed by others forced upon our lives, that we have been forced to defend ourselves from. This has been painful, humiliating, and traumatizing to all of us. Some in the "advocate" group keep stating that "victims have been intimidated to come forward to talk to legal investigators." This is untrue. We have engaged with the three investigative legal teams that IHOPKC has brought in. Though all the legal teams have been professional and respectful, the nature of the circumstances and its necessary questions have caused us to endure recurring humiliation, distress, trauma, and pain as we have had to have repeated conversations about humiliating topics concerning the insinuations and suggestions that others have projected onto our lives and workplace dynamics." - Misty Edwards

Actually, the story about how some of the alleged victims were not has come out because Misty Edwards reported such several months ago. what Misty tries to do here is pretend that whatever has or has not happened to her, must be true for everyone else involved. So, I do not doubt her when she says that she has not been intimidated to not talk to investigators but that does not mean it has never occurred with other people. The real purpose here is to again muddy the waters. Just a couple of other obvious points. The "three investigative legal teams" were all brought in from IHOPKC, meaning they were completely compromised because we know they refused to bring in an outside entity to fairly examine what happened. Misty is offering this nugget here to make it seem like they have exhaustively investigated when they most certainly have not. The second observation is why were these questions painful, humiliating, and traumatizing if you claim nothing ever happened? Why would false innuendo or insinuations be embarrassing? It sounds like perhaps there was some truth to what was being asked.

"Behind the scenes we have been harassed, secretly recorded, had family members contacted, had our phone numbers given out, and been bullied and pressured to "admit" to being victims, and when we have refused such untruths, we have been gaslit, told that these people know the true stories of our lives better than we do, and had the narratives they have formed about our lives suggestively put in media articles and social media posts, or threatened to be put in public articles. When we refuse to capitulate to the narratives being promoted about our lives by some of the "advocates" we have been threatened, called liars, Stockholm syndromed, accused of covering up, being mentally compromised, having memories repressed, being complicit, and even suicidal. Now some in the "advocate" group are insisting on a fourth investigation, putting us through even further anguish and injustice, while they themselves have as of yet refused to be formally investigated even once by a legal team in context to their character, narratives, or the processes by which they have promoted various accusations against many of us. We are exhausted, humiliated, and done. We appreciate the concern for others who express victimhood, but frankly, there is another group of victimized women here - the women, and former women, of this house who have been forced to engage in this horror show against our will for the sake of someone else's agenda against Mike Bickle and IHOPKC." - Misty Edwards

So, we come to the real reason behind this outrage from Misty. She is selling the idea that this entire controversy is just a conspiracy against Mike Bickle. That it is just an "agenda." How pitifully disgusting to say that publicly. I did not realize that the true victim here in all of this is Misty Edwards. You see, I thought it was the woman who when she was 19 years old, was lied to by Bickle so he could lure her into bed. A woman who he lied to about hearing from God about. You see Misty, the then 42-year-old, married Bickle, who was about to build IHOP, which would launch your career, told this 19-year-old sheep that God told him his wife was going to die so they could one day remarry. He told her this false prophecy over and over again as he sexually abused her for four years. Oh, and then he tried to manipulate her life, tell her who she could see or not see, and even tried to break up her marriage when she finally broke free from him. Oh, and she was the daughter of a friend of his. To me Misty, this woman is the victim, not you because you had to be interviewed about what a low life Bickle was. The "horror show" was produced by your buddy Mike Bickle, not the people he victimized. That poor woman, whose entire life was victimized deserves to claim humiliation Misty, not you.

"While some in this group, comprised primarily of what would be considered righteous men of God, have clamored loudly and insistently and forcefully that they are "advocates" of a series of

abused women, the truth is that in reality our lives have been bullied and abused by them. They

profess an adamant knowledge of our victimization and credible evidence that suffices it. These

are all based upon second-hand stories and hearsay. Not one of them has ever spoken to any of us except Jane Doe #3, only to have the testimony of her own personal life story refuted to her face and overridden by their insistence that they knew her life story better than she. May Jesus strengthen her in this hour. Meanwhile, some of these men continue to boldly declare to the world that they are the "advocates" of multiple victimized women, all while having their foot on our necks in full refutation of the actual narrative of our lives. They are determined that their narrative of our lives will be established as the "truth" about our lives. Our voices mean nothing to them. The idea that all the men in this group and some of those closely working with them are "advocates" of abused women is self-righteous posturing that is better defined as "this group are advocates of women who agree with their narrative." If you don't agree with their narrative, you become just as abused by their hands as the women they claim to represent." - Misty Edwards

Wait a minute, Misty. You said earlier that you have sat through three investigations already that humiliated and traumatized you but now you admit no one from the victim group has actually been allowed to speak to you? I might add here that second hand information is how we credibly recreate history. We accept writing such as the Gospel of Luke, which was entirely second-hand information. In at least one of the victim's stories however we have actual FIRST-hand details of a four-year sexual relationship where Bickle pretended God told him his wife would die and you seem ok with that? You still feel the need to defend a man such as that? Do you realize you re-traumatize the actual victim all over with your absurd notion that you are the victim here? You do understand that Bickle has already admitted to these things? You do realize that even his closest allies had to cut him loose from IHOP because these things have been proven true? Your attempts to smear the people you once worked side by side with is disgusting. Two former IHOP board members and a former pastor of your own church. They do not claim to represent the victims, they actually do. All you represent is yourself and the predator Mike Bickle.

"As a result, our names, our life narratives, and our spiritual family have been forcibly smeared. The damage done has been devastating and cruel. We are simple, quiet people who just wanted to worship Jesus and pray for the nations. We wait for the throne room judgment of Jesus Christ when all true things will be laid bare and vindication will be eternal. Our appeal is that they STOP harassing, bullying, and shaming us in public and private. Our appeal is that we not be forced to endure the trauma and humiliation related to another round of investigations by a fourth professional team as some in the "advocate" group are insisting upon. In grief, painful endurance, and unified agreement. The accord of at least five "Jane Does" (as identified by the "advocates" and some of those associated with them." - Misty Edwards

How sad. Your life has not been smeared Misty. In fact, if you had not bothered to go public a few months back, no one would even know you were involved at all. YOU brought all the attention onto yourself. Simple, quiet person Misty? Then why all the loud tweets and postings? Save me your poor theology and faux-piety. You need to seriously repent for the smearing you have done in this statement. This is not the fourth investigation as you have admitted here! This would be the first investigation by an uncompromised source. But you do not have to comply Misty. Just go away. Stop making public decrees bemoaning why your name is in the public. You are not a victim of Mike Bickle? Fantastic, but you made that clear months ago. That does not mean other women are not victims. I mean true victims. People who had their entire lives upended for decades by a man preying on them instead of praying for them. I understand that man did a lot for you and your career. I understand why you would feel loyalty to him despite of his own admissions. What I do not understand is how you can publicly attack true victims and those trying to help them. I do not understand how you can have the gall to actually pretend that you are the victim here. Not the woman who at the age of 19 was lied to a by a married 42-year old pretending God told him his wife was going to die so they could marry. You have now made your call and who you stand with and what you support. Now go away.

Reverend Anthony Wade - January 23, 2024

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.