(a repost...)
I’m so glad I never had the popularity and platform Mike Bickle had. I’m so glad I’m not a mega pastor of a mega church or that people would’ve made some celebrity out of me. I’m so glad the Lord never allowed me to rise to any kind of ministry prominence. I’m afraid if He had, I would’ve ceased to be a man after His own heart. In fact, many years ago, the Lord told me that.
Often we do not know what we are asking the Lord for. He withholds some things from us because of His love and protection. We are not ready for many things. As a younger minister when I prayed and asked God for such things He enlightened my understanding by showing me that. Ministry popularity is an addiction for many. What lessons there are to learn from scoundrels and scandals that are now being exposed.
Mike Bickle is still trying to preserve the “prophetic history” of his ministry. If this is true as has been reported, what a sad state to be in. That even after these allegations of sexual immorality and abuse…even after hurting so many people…even after misrepresenting the Lord Jesus Christ…even after mishandling the word of God…this man wants to preserve the ministry’s prophetic history. What?! This is the awful depths of a man addicted not to Jesus, as many thought, but to “ministry”. I’m telling you it’s a representation and an example of what exists on a much wider scale in both large and smaller works, ministries, and churches. The name of the game seems to be the protecting of our own projects and the popularity and status derived from them, not to mention their stash of cash.
TIME TO CLEANSE THE TEMPLE
These things must be exposed so that the temple of God is cleansed. Why? So that when judgement hits the world, we are separate and His wrath won’t affect us in that way. But instead, we will display His glory for all to see. There will be a great harvest from this future judgement that is coming, and now is. But before that, there will be many more casualties (judgement).
The judgement that came upon Ananias and Sapphira for lying to the Holy Ghost is a widespread problem today. Sadly, many preachers lie like they did. “Well, why aren’t they being judged in the same way?” some may ask. Simply for two reasons:
First, because of God’s mercy and long-suffering. Many people would be dying, even right in our churches, if that sort of judgement manifested right now. There is so much sin in the Church today that if God’s judgement was unleashed there may not be enough graveyards to bury the dead.
2. Secondly, there is very little glory in the Church today. Judgement is in proportion to the glory that is manifested. In the beginning of the Church age the early glory was pure and heavy. No sin could stand in it. That is the reason Ananias and Sapphira were zapped (no irreverence intended). This terrible judgement caused the fear of the Lord and His power and glory to increase even more (read Acts 5).
This concept puts a different light on the Mike Bickle incident. It should awaken us all to righteousness, especially popular celebrity preachers and those with big platforms that have made ministry their idol. This recent Mike Bickle scandal can also be seen as an act of mercy, not only for the man’s soul, but so that the fear of the Lord can increase in the body of Christ, as well as His power and glory.
Bert Farias' books are forerunners to personal holiness, the move of God and the return of the Lord. They also combat the departure from the faith and the turning away from the truth we are seeing in our day. His recent five-book bundle, written under a fresh anointing, is a forerunner of what the Lord is doing in His Church today. His most read books are Cleansing The Temple and The Tumultuous 2020s and Beyond
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