Hello friends. I pray that you are doing well and standing under the wings of our Almighty God. Whenever big Christian scandals happen I want to address these stories with you because even if they don’t impact you in obvious ways, I know that these stories have a way of making us cynical and hard. I don’t know about you but I want a soft and sweet heart ❤️. I told you about the importance of visualizing your last life scene so that you are always heading towards that goal.
A very brave Christian apologist and podcaster, Mike Winger broke the news about the great cover-ups by the charismatic (aka Pentecostal) Bethel Church and their network of leaders who covered up and/or passively allowed a sexual predator and fake prophet, Shawn Bolz to have platform and influence. Before I decided to share this information with you I had to hear the whole story. It was a very long 3 hours and 34 minutes podcast. It was very, very difficult and disturbing to listen but I had to if I was going to warn you about their ministry network.
This Christian podcaster, Mike Winger finally broke the news after several years of victims coming to him to research and report their stories. It’s so hard to listen and learn about the “Culture of Cover Up and Elitism” in the Pentecostal church network. As hard as it was for me listen, I decided to listen to it all so that I don’t become a cover up participant. If these hardcore Christian leaders fell into it then it can also happen to any one of us. It is truly heartbreaking 💔. My mind goes back to 2020, when the famous Christian apologist, Ravi Zacharias died and all his sexual sins and abuses came out and how hard it was for many of us to process that reality about him. This “culture of cover up and elitism” can happen in any institution. However, it still hurts a lot when it happens to the spiritual leaders that we admire and respect in the body of Christ.
Here is the very long podcast that I listened to if you want to listen to it for yourself. Break it up as you listen. I finished it in three portions.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/biblethinker/id1358056327?i=1000747598972
Here is CBN reporting about it. It’s a short recap article. https://cbn.com/news/us/bethel-church-responds-shawn-bolz-sexual-misconduct-allegations-and-fake-prophecy-scandal
Here’s a very good OpEd by Christian journalism group about the scandal in the charismatic ministry.
https://julieroys.com/bethel-ihop-nar-young-people-disillusioned-jesus/
As a young woman I gave up everything precious to me to follow Jesus Christ but there were just too many church scandals that were being exposed in the mid-90s in the USA. I was in-between churches and having come back home to live with my parents who don’t follow Jesus Christ. Therefore I know how very damaging these exposures are for young believers without a church family to process the scandals. If anyone needs to talk about these issues and pray together, please reach out to your church pastors and mature church friends. Just do not walk away from your church and faith like I did.
I don’t know why I get so upset when I hear of Christian leaders being exposed. During our corporate prayer meetings, I often pray for the wolves and abusive shepherds to be exposed in the body of Christ and when it happens I get so upset. I should be praising God. Praise Jesus. Yay…gosh it is hard to fake any enthusiasm, it is still hard for me. My hunch is that there will be even more exposures and shakings in the charismatic church leadership. Please let us not gloat thinking that we are better because we are not Pentecostals. We sing Bethel worship songs. I love their songs. Let us just pray for them and for ourselves too.
Pastor John Bevere was asked to visit Jim Baker when he was in jail for his corruption in his ministry. Jim Baker read John Bevere’s book about theFear of the Lord while in jail. He told John Bevere that he loves Jesus Christ but that he didn’t have the fear of God which led him to sin so gravely and then exposed publicly. Whenever I study the Bible, especially the Old Testament books, I receive the fear of the Lord. It is a gift to have this good healthy fear of God.
Here’s a good short devotional about it. https://www.ifcj.org/learn/holy-land-moments/daily-devotionals/the-fear-of-god
In my opinion if you are not reading the Bible daily, then your fear of God is slipping away and that makes you vulnerable to deception and compromise. You might be able to hide your sins for a little while but eventually you will be exposed. It is so much easier and better to deal with your sins privately with God and few trusted people in the church. And please don’t climb onto any influence and platform until you have a good healthy fear of God in place. They are good healthy boundaries for us.
In this podcast conversation between John and his wife, Lisa Bevere; they talk about the fact that God won’t allow you to live a double life. We are all work in progress but if you are a Christian leader just be very careful. I don’t get paid for anything that I do for God. But since I do lead two prayer groups, I am careful and mindful about my steps and speech. I also repent quickly. I still struggle with a hot temper. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversations-with-john-lisa-bevere/id218453800?i=1000747861492
It’s Super Bowl weekend. Please read this girl’s story of how she was recruited to become a sex worker and let us pray 🙏 for the men in our country who pay for sex. I don’t know exactly how to pray for the men other than that the fear of God to torment them into repentance and surrender to Jesus Christ. https://sharedhope.org/2011/02/23/an-earnest-request-survivor-letter-to-2011-super-bowl-host-committee/
Whenever I hear stories of young women who escaped sex traffickers, I always think that it could happen to anyone. Sex traffickers are very intelligent. But if the demand wasn’t there then there wouldn’t be a need for sex workers. Most buyers of sex in the USA are profiled as married men with two children. I forget who told me that but it was from a reputable woman of God who fights against sex trafficking through a non-profit organization.
Sorry to share so much negative information with you this week but I think these are important things to know about for your own good and safety.
I’ve been really enjoying the classic sermon series by Pastor Tim Keller about the Ten Commandments.This one is about contentment and delivered on January 1990. I’ve been remembering how I was at that time period. I was a senior in high school. Life was so much simpler and safer back then in the USA. Anyway, his classic sermon series are excellent. Plus he passed away about two years ago and has no secrets and scandals! Yay! I highly recommend his sermons when you have trouble sleeping. He has a professor-like voice. He is my go to person when I have trouble going back to sleep. I’m out before finishing the sermon. I did finish this one. 😊
God bless you abundantly. With much prayers and in the love of Jesus Christ.
Here’s a great prayer song by Keith Green if you feel cynical and hard in your heart and in your prayers. ❤️ Life is hard. Let’s lean into Jesus even more. https://youtu.be/8vsWO3-we-Y?si=6o7j3bnC4FTcOHYN
Additional resources:
John Bevere’s book on the Fear of the Lord:https://www.amazon.com/Fear-Lord-Discover-Intimately-Knowing-ebook/dp/B004TGT6EM
Anne Graham Lotz’s daughter has a story in their newsletter that made me chuckle. I hope you enjoy reading it too. (Anne Graham Lotz is the famous evangelist, Billy Graham’s daughter. Billy Graham also passed away without any scandals! Yay! He wrote many books too.) https://www.annegrahamlotz.org/2026/02/01/winter-2026/
Journal of Faith 