The Kansas City Star has debunked an often-told “4:18 prophecy” that Mike Bickle, disgraced founder of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City (IHOPKC), used to legitimize his ministry.
For decades, Bickle told a story with a remarkable alignment of details that mesmerized audiences at IHOPKC and beyond. The story involved well-known Kansas City prophet Paul Cain and the timing of when his mother, Anna Cain, died. This supposedly corresponded with a Scripture passage—Luke 4:18—but the details do not line up.
The revelation comes as IHOPKC grapples with its future amidst a growing scandal. Since last November, multiple women have come forward accusing Bickle of years of grooming and sexual abuse. Bickle’s longtime friend Paul Cain, who died in 2019, has since been revealed as a lifelong sexual predator.
According to how Bickle recounted the famous story in an April 16, 2021, sermon, Anna Cain, age 104, had been in a coma for two months in a Dallas hospital.
One day in April 1990, when Bickle came to visit her bedside alongside Paul Cain, suddenly she awoke from her coma to prophesy to her son, saying, “Paul, God is giving to you and to the world, Luke 4:18.” Anna Cain then reportedly lost consciousness and died shortly afterward.
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Bickle’s sermon notes from April 2021 state: “She died on April 18 (4/18) at 4:18pm after giving (Paul Cain) the scripture on Luke 4:18!” Bickle called it “divine poetry” exclaiming in his sermon, “Everything lined up!”
This repetition of the numbers “4” and “18” became a means of spiritualizing the story. Particularly, sources state it placed IHOPKC in the midst of the biblical narrative of Luke chapter 4, involving Jesus’ prayer in the wilderness, fasting, and the power of the Holy Spirit evident in his ministry.
However, the Star reported Wednesday that Anna Cain’s gravestone confirms she died on April 19, 1990. Her death certificate, also reviewed by the media outlet, revealed her time of death listed as 9:50 p.m. A story long part of IHOPKC’s “prophetic history” was shown to be false.
Tammy Woods, who recently came forward to recount how Bickle sexually abused her when she was a minor, recalls the “sensational” story being repeated often by Bickle and his associates—and being used for fundraising purposes.
“The room would literally gasp when it was told,” she told The Roys Report (TRR). “It just had to be God, and who doesn’t want to sow into what God is doing in the earth? Financial partners were cultivated in part by the recounting of (this) mesmerizing story.”
Similarly, Austin Roberts, a staff member at IHOPKC from 2006 to 2012, told TRR he was “shocked” that “the 4:18 story” was a fabrication. “Just when I think I can’t be surprised, another exposure in the IHOP storyline occurs and it triggers a range of emotions all over again.”
Roberts noted this story was part of IHOPKC’s core curriculum for interns and staff, included in a 13-hour audio series titled “Encountering Jesus.”
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Mike Bickle tells this account for decades, claiming that he saw the clock showing 4:18 on 04/18. pic.twitter.com/5YcvLw08eW
— Austin Roberts (@starcazm) May 15, 2024
On Sunday, May 5, Isaac Bennett, preaching at IHOPKC’s Forerunner Church, recounted other stories and prophecies from that same series, as TRR previously reported.
Bennett recounted in his sermon how prophet Bob Jones told Bickle in the early 1980s that “a youth movement of prophetic singers and musicians” would be raised up, which had “come to pass” with IHOPKC.
In response to TRR’s inquiry, a spokesperson for IHOPKC stated Bickle’s “duties and privileges” at the ministry were revoked on October 26, 2023, and in December the separation was made “permanent.”
The statement from IHOPKC continued: “As a result of revelations and accusations against Mike, we are examining all elements of the ministry culture and foundations he influenced. This includes each element of the Prophetic History.”
TRR reached out to Bickle for comment but did not receive a response.
Prophetic History – Sift or Scrap It?
As an IHOPKC staff member 12 years ago, Roberts told TRR that he sought to become an “expert” on the ministry’s so-called prophetic history.
He said he noticed discrepancies in the stories and brought his questions to leaders, who brushed them off. “My questions turned to concerns as I didn’t get any sufficient explanations but instead realized people were uncomfortable and irritated with my inquiries,” said Roberts.
On its website, IHOPKC continues to refer to its prophetic history, which originated with Bickle, as linked to the prayer ministry’s unique identity and end-times theology.
“Over the last 25 plus years, the Lord has graciously given us about 25 powerful prophetic experiences that provide insight into what will happen in the days ahead,” the website states. “They include times when various believers saw the Lord, heard God’s audible voice, saw an angel, or had prophetic dreams that were dramatically confirmed.”
The ministry affirms the text of Scripture as the “highest standard.” But it adds that “the Lord sometimes gives us prophetic experiences to highlight aspects of our specific ministry assignment . . .”
Roberts said this elevation of the prophetic is why he doesn’t believe IHOPKC “will, or even can, evaluate the prophetic history—because it’s the ultimate conflict of interest.”
“Donors, staff, and students all think their involvement is an investment in a divine mandate,” said Roberts. “Once the stories are shown to be filled with falsehoods, the ‘divine’ part is removed, and all you are left with is the mandate of Mike Bickle.”
Responding to TRR’s inquiry, IHOPKC referenced that unspecified third-party advisors will help evaluate the ministry’s prophetic history, which will “take time and expertise.”
“With help from trusted elders in the body of Christ we will determine which prophecies to hold fast and which to discard,” said an IHOPKC spokesperson.
However, Woods said the “prophetic history” should be dismissed as a whole.
“It has been proven repeatedly to be founded upon falsehood, deception, manipulation, abuse, and exploitation,” she told TRR. “Exactly what is there to sift through for the sake of salvaging?”
IHOPKC has recently denied plans to close its current nonprofit structure, despite leaked audio from a leaders’ meeting that indicated a leaner, rebranded prayer ministry would be launched.
The ministry has confirmed that training school IHOP University will close following graduation on May 18.
As to Bickle, sources indicate other alleged victims have yet to come forward. Former IHOPKC leader Elizabeth Herder said in a recent podcast that “close to 20” women have been identified who were allegedly abused or groomed by Bickle.
Woods urged IHOPKC to model transparency and accountability moving forward.
“There should be a resounding cry for justice, light and truth from any and all church leadership.”
Freelance journalist Josh Shepherd writes on faith, culture, and public policy for several media outlets. He and his family live in the Washington, D.C. area.
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29 Responses
The enemy tries to counterfeit and bring confusion to the prophetic in many ways, because it is such a powerful gift to the family of God. God warns us around 30x in various ways in the NT “do not be deceived” … He warns us to test everything, take the good, throw out the bad… discernment and testing are a huge part of the prophetic responsibility… It has been almost completely ignored by the more rational side of the spectrum & anything goes on the experiential side of the spectrum… balance & synergy/sunergeo is needed in the Body of Christ. https://biblehub.com/greek/4903.htm
There are NO prophets or apostles today! Hebrews 1 says that prophets are in the past. We have the sufficiency of the written Word!
I Corinthians 9 says to be one is to have seen Christ in person! We do not needs dreams, visions, signs, wonders, and “revelations,” This continual lust for the supernatural is occultic. Mike Bickle, Bob Jones, Rick Joyner, Bill Johnson have been saturated in it for years. Jesus warned of this in Matthew 24 The written Word is sufficient!
But what should you do when two ministers have difference interpretations of the same passage of Scripture? How do you know who to believe? When you make your choice, you are saying that one of them is right and the other is wrong, true? On what basis do you make your decision? Do you let one of them persuade you or do you figure it out on your own or do you hit the commentaries written by others and then decide?
Let’s say that someone says a particular minister is right and that person says, “The Lord has put in my heart that the minister is correct.” You disagree and believe that that minister is wrong and so is the person that agrees with him, because you follow what some other persuasive person has said. Now we have four people that claim to be right. Who decides?
You can argue that “The written Word is sufficient!” but the fact that you wrote your comment is proof that it is not. You imply that there is only one correct interpretation of a given set of words but people don’t agree about all sorts of things in the Bible. St. Paul said that there was no place for private interpretation but it is done anyway.
Ah! I have a solution. St. Paul said what he did about private interpretation but perhaps that teaching would expire like speaking in tongues did (according to some). 1,400+ years later came the Reformation when folks could interpret to their hearts’ content. How about that? Something for everyone.
You answered your own question. Paul instructs us to go straight to the Word in search of the truth of any given matter. Not some self-assigned prophet, or a whimsical “feeling” inside. Just as misleading as the two examples above is the oft-heard excuse that we can arrive at different translations of the same verse and all are equally acceptable. They are not. In the case of this post, the Bible is extremely clear that scripture is closed and that there are no Prophets or Apostles. When the last Apostle who was witness to Jesus and his death died, the office of Apostle was closed. When John the Baptist died, the office of Prophet was closed. That means when people like Bickle, or Cain, or Johnson are prophesying, they are speaking from their own imagination, and their behavior directly illustrates that.
Your last paragraph proves nothing. Pentacostalism is a scam. Been there, done that. It sprang up amongst the same weeds that brought us other scams such as Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists. All of them focused on something extra-biblical that is missing, but will give the movement more punch. How effective has that proved to be, beyond stunted believers who place more faith in a person than the Bible?
Mr. Blaine:
Firstly: that scripture you quoted is grossly misinterpreted. No scripture explicitly states prophets and apostles have ceased. And why just take out 2 of the gifts, but leave the rest? Moreover, why does the bible warn repeatedly of falsehoods if not because truth/real exists?.
REAL Prophets of old encountered FAKE ONES. REAL Messiah (Yeshua) warns of FAKES. The original REAL apostles encountered and warned of FAKES. Ergo: if fakes/false exist, there must be real or truth also. For fakes cannot exist in a vacuum. The way light cannot exist without dark. Fake money is useless if no real money.
Science agrees also. Per Newton’s 3rd law of motion: “for every action, there’s equal and opposite reaction”. By definition, “fakes” or “counterfeits” are BECAUSE REAL exist.
Does it not seem strange to you that demons are at work producing fakes, meanwhile the Holy Spirit is now impotent, quiet and withdrawn?! Why bestow more power and credit upon satan and his fallen angels. How tragic.
I bet if you lived in the 400+ years of silence between the OT and NT, you too would say, “there are no more prophets and apostles”.
Concerning matters of gifts of Spirit and power thereof, personal lack of evidence does not constitute evidence of lack. The LORD wants us to love HIM with our MINDS too, which is to utilize our cerebrum (brain) in conjunction with our faith too.
The problem in Christendom is that in addition to biblical illiteracy; and lack of wisdom, there is a dearth of critical thinking; and reasoning skills are in short supply and under-developed; which are recipe for utter spiritual deception and wrong doctrinal beliefs. Truly pathetic state of affairs.
You talk about critical thinking, but your reply has self-defeating logic. We have counterfeits today not because real Apostles or Prophets exist in the world today and Satan is trying to counterfeit them. We have counterfeits because of one of the oldest sins in the world: Pride. People tacking these titles in front of their names act out of pride. They want to be more special than other people. They want to claim they are inside the loop when it comes to special revelations from God. Yet, their prophecies never come true. That means they are fakes. There is no credible debate otherwise.
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Hebrews 1 does state that in former times (mostly what we call the Old Testament, but we also have to consider Anna in the temple in Luke 2:36, and John the Baptist, as prophets in the time Christ was on earth), but it does NOT say that prophecy ended with culmination of Christ’s earthly ministry in His death, resurrection, and ascension. If we take Heb 1:1-2 in the context of the whole epistle, the point that is being made is that the Son is the supreme revelation of God — better than the law of Moses, better than angelic mediators, because this was now God revealing himself directly in Christ and not via other mediated means.
We still see prophecy after Christ’s ascension, in Acts (Agabus, prophets in the church at Antioch) 1 Corinthians, etc. Hebrews 1 cannot be saying that prophets were in the past, if there were still prophets around the time the epistle was written.
Also, I looked at Heb 1:1-2 in Greek, and there is actually no “but” in there, either the weak form (“de”) or the form indicating a stronger contrast (“alla”).
Thank you for your post. It prompted me to study scripture. It has also reminded me Revelation is prophecy. To say prophecy should have ceased with Jesus’ death is to say the book of Revelation should not be in the Bible. May that never be. See how the Bible ends Rev 22! Also, see Rev 11—a future event. I think all these scandal people make prophecy about themselves. Revelation says John after an Angel gave a prophecy “fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Thank you again for your post.
Your post also helped me to remember there are victims here. IHOPKC victims, don’t live in shame. Even the Apostle John had a wrong response to a TRUE prophecy. Just return your focus to the Lord. He loves you, and there are people who care.
There are a lot of good responses to this doctrine that demons preach that Rick is repeating. The reality is that this falsity did not exist until the enlightenment and is syncretism between that philosophy of man which denies all that is supernatural and Christianity. The bigger problem though, and why I believe demons love it, is because it loudly proclaims that the Holy Spirit is dead, or sleeping or become decrepit and mute. It is an insult of the highest degree to God’s Holy Spirit telling It to SHUT UP! Not allowed to speak any more to whomever, wherever, whenever. It denies the supernatural aspects of our God. In doing that it denies our very faith.
Also their has always been false prophecy and it has always been the vast majority of what man labels as prophecy. That fact does not disprove all of it.
When you put someone’s name in the post and them compare it to “demon preaching” you place yourself in an elevated position that you do not actually occupy. You are claiming Rick is being led by a demon, and you are placing yourself in a position that no one should place themselves in. You just openly slandered another Christian. Anything you say about faith and serving God falls flat after that opener.
No true Christian believes that the Holy Spirit is dead, or that He is no longer working in this world. He just is not working in the way the way that people like Mike Bickle or Pat Robertson claimed, and since their prophesies have always been proven to be false, they obviously were not prophets.
tell that to our brothers & sisters in the Lord that are Muslim background believers… There are many testimonies of Jesus/Isa revealed to former Muslims through dreams and visions! PTL!
All flesh will prophesy, sons & daughters, old & young!
God warns us there will be false prophesies & teachings, our responsibility is to test and discern! & warns us that traditions of man/elders can nullify His word/truth!
It looks like this whole “ministry” was build on lies, fraud, and deceit from the very beginning. And the truth is coming out. Stick a fork in it, IHOP is done (but the pancake house continues to serve up excellent breakfasts).
Let’s stop spiritualizing nonsense and start loving Biblical truth.
According to 1 Corinthians 14, New Testament prophecies are words of edification, exhortation and comfort. Period.
It is time for all so called prophets to return their Ephesians 4 assignment and to start equipping believers for ministry work.
New Testament prophets who are not serving in a local church are in need of correction. These “National” prophets are out of order and in need of rebuke; as are their false prophecies and all manipulations.
Other than that, ihopkc seems totally legit. Lol.
Anyone here ever read Elmer Gantry? There were terrible people in the pulpit a hundred years ago when Sinclair Lewis wrote that book and there are terrible people now. They dress mightily sloppily compared to the standard suit and tie in the twenties but the gullibility and scandal are the same.
Any idea how to make it stop? The foul ministers aren’t interested in developing discernment in the people that are listening to them and forking over their money and their listeners apparently don’t care. What to do? Are the people in the pews helping their so-called “pastors” to go to Hell because they continue to attend those churches?
That’s what happens when people impute the inerrancy and infallibility of Scripture to their own interpretations, false prophecies, and “words of wisdom”. Sometimes in a faux show of humility, they will soften their message with sketchy qualifying statements. And as one wise man said, some people lie when they tell the truth.
Yep.
But with so much emphasis on performance, how should people respond when it’s showtime in church and everything is so impressive?
The staff members that are skeptics leave and those that remain want to keep their jobs secure or be close to power, so they go along with the program. This is true in government (hence our follies in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere), business, unions, non-profit organizations, and (gasp!) church. Who has the nerve to tell a big shot minister adored by many that he is full of it (and I don’t mean the Holy Spirit)? It ends up being outsiders that reveal the problems to the world. What is there in the culture of churches that allows things to become corrupt? Are churches not so different from other organizations?
Look at the news about the decades-long blood contamination problem in Britain. People knew but it went on anyway. Good grief! We have an abundance of toxic clergy. There should be a Nathan for each one of these ministers.
Clearly Annie Cain’s tombstone and death certificate must be wrong, because Mike Bickle has testified for decades about the prophetic, supernatural facts of her death that he witnessed first-hand. Of course Annie Cain also never had a day of illness for 60 years after age 45, when she was miraculously healed, until the time of her death, as Bickle states in the sermon video link.
Bickle would never lie, especially about something as sacred as the prophetic history of IHOP, being a man of utmost integrity and noble character, as attested to by throngs of people who greatly admire and respect him, themselves being people of unimpeachable character, including the likes of Stephen Strang, Misty Edwards, and Stuart Greaves.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-3)
SG, yes I knew you before IHOPKC, and I am taking a risk because I care. This drama is painful to watch. I implore you to tell the truth of what you know. Return to the heart you had when all you had was a bike, a Bible and love for Jesus. II Peter tells us the way to hasten the Day of the Lord is not to spend 24/7 in prayer and fast but rather to live a godly life in our conduct. Be that man again that took I Corinthians 5:11 to heart. I believe you have been deceived. II Peter also says “ the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,” Please ask yourself what kind of man lies about the death of a woman to promote himself and, even worse, does so that they can take a prophecy about Jesus and say it is about themselves? Remember, “to the church without compromise, I will give my spirit without measure.” Righteousness has the conviction to say this isn’t right. Be a man of righteousness in this hour. Luke 4 leaves out the entire quote of Isaiah Jesus came “To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD” BUT He will come again to proclaim “the day of vengeance of our God;” Be on the side of favor.
What you quoted is not scripture, nor do I know of any scripture to support it. There is a scripture something similar. But is Jesus talking about God giving Him the Spirit without measure. Nowhere does it state this to any “church.” Paul does talk about limited measures for certain people in the church. The people should be without compromise, but that requires cooperation on our own part, which is a choice. Better to stay with the Beatitudes for those actually are scripture.
I know it is not scripture. I never said it was. Where I quoted or paraphrased scripture, I either gave specific reference or the book. You are picking apart something you don’t know the context of and you are totally missing the heart cry of my post, and I don’t wish to engage.
So as to not be cryptic, the quote is from a deceased pastor of a church in Florida in the 90s. He didn’t make headlines because he loved Jesus and people. Those kind of people never seem to get talked about.
I am sorry if my initial reply sounded dismissive. I found a lot of posts on this thread missing the gravity of the moment and some to be mean spirited. I think there needs to be a human understanding that some people are in pain and mourning and are trying to love people that have perhaps failed and cry out for righteousness.
I only respond because I care about the word of God above all else, and you misrepresented (unknowingly, I believe) scripture. It is dangerous to take one verse out of context. If you read the apostle John 3:22-36 you will clearly see the scripture you eluded to is John the Baptist speaking, not Jesus. John 3:27 says “John answered and said….,”speaking of John the Baptist. John the Baptist goes on to say “For He (Jesus ) whom God has sent speaks the words of God (the Father); for He gives the Spirit without measure.” Jesus being given the Spirit makes no sense—-the Father Son and Spirit are One. We are given the Spirit when we believe the testimony of Jesus. John the Baptist further confirms this statement by saying “He (the person)who has received His (Jesus’)testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true.” Sealing is the work of the Holy Spirit. Anyone who is appalled at what is going on in the name of Jesus would do well to read John 3:22-36 because you will see a true prophet in John the Baptist who did not take the center stage but pointed people to the Father Son and Holy Spirit—a true friend of the BrideGroom Jesus as this passage says.
I attended a conference at Belmont Church, Nashville, Tn. the week of April 16 -20 (?) 1990. Speakers were Jack Deere, Rick Joyner and Paul Cain, Paul was not able to attend because of his mother’s imminent death, we prayed for her to give the last “word” and she died. Don Finto was pastor. This was LONG before the prophecy used by MB. Check the dates.
I worked for a ministry in the 90’s which had close ties with Paul Cain and several others of the prophetic movement. I have moved on from them since. I could observe during my time there, that some at least had started out with good intentions but somewhere along their path they went astray. During my time there, I lived in a house that had been previously occupied by one of their main figures ( Rick Joyner ), when he was starting his ministry ( I believe he wrote his most popular book – The harvest – in the office of that house ). One day I came across a pile of paperwork he had left behind. I saw some writings in which he lined up the goal and aspirations for his then upcoming ministry. He said his main desire and purpose was to glorify God, equipping and preparing His people for the end times. A lot has happened since, as Rick definitely got sidetracked along the way, unfortunately. His initial motivation though seemed pure and genuine.