Mike Bickle was 42 and the woman in question was 19 years old.
We don't need to know who she is.
It's a common "midlife" crisis, possibly marriage on the rocks situation.
The lust that's in the heart, male and female, is common.
According to what's alleged. They both engaged in sexual immorality. According to what's reported, he gave her the key to his hotel room, and she was either manipulated or she consented to engage in sexual immorality.
If it was a case of rape, chances are, perhaps she may have a criminal case against Mike Bickle. Nonetheless, adultery took place.
Women are smitten with men of professional backgrounds. However, men use their professional position to deceive weak gullible women. Pastors will use Scripture and their personality to win over the heart of the "target."
But then there's the probability that she used her beauty to get what she wanted too.
Power over a powerful man.
Proverbs 7:24-27 (NKJV)
"Now therefore, listen to me, my children;
Pay attention to the words of my mouth:
Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths;
For she has cast down many wounded,
And all who were slain by her were strong men.
Her house is the way to hell,
Descending to the chambers of death."
Jane Doe may have been an innocent, but gullible young lady, smitten by a married man.
The dynamics of the power of attraction works in men as with women.
Young, innocent, and beautiful. Eye contact. The admiration of a young attractive woman. The attraction of a strong powerful man.
However, when you're about following the Lord, as a young woman, the last thing on your mind is to sin against God by consenting in sexual immorality with a married man.
In a letter by Mike Bickle, he confessed to doing everything "short of sexual intercourse." Even without sexual intercourse, it's still sexual immorality.
How?
Matthew 5:27-30 (NKJV) “You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not commit adultery.’
But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell."
Then what's next?
We make "provision" to fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
When admiration of beauty turns into an intent of lust, the adultery in the heart was committed and we set out to satisfy the lusts of the flesh.
We don't know if she was a virgin or married at the time, nonetheless, you don't accept a key to another man's room.
Now we don't know what led up to these moments of sexual immorality, but there's no question in my mind that the starting point led to a level of trust.
Jane Doe had to trust him or at the very least, have a sense of security. Or, a simple abandonment of Biblical godly boundaries to pursue what she wanted. To fulfill the communication contact and consummate it in the bedroom. From eye contact to physical stimulation leading to orgasm.
She trusted him enough to accept a key to his room. The alarm bells before this sin should have been recognized. Ethics on the part of the pastor should have been in place. But one thing that must be understood is that even if ethics were in place, there's always a way to defeat them. The lack of discipline and self control.
Men think like boys when it comes to sex. If there's parental oversight, the son or daughter will find a way to defeat every obstacle of prohibition and open up the window in the middle of the night, climb down the rope, and to "rendezvous" in the barn on the haystack.
The focus right now is on Mike Bickle. Why he kept this a secret for over 20 years.
On the other hand, Jane Doe kept it quiet too.
What's even worse is that the charismatic community is covering up another scandal because "elitism" born out of charismatic pride, it gives a pastor a sense of invincibility and it gives them a sense of becoming untouchable.
Ah. It's just another sin. The blood will cover it. No problem, keep it moving.
Like David, his lust becomes a pursuit that must be fulfilled.
David slayed Goliath, but the lust in David's heart was a Goliath that he refused to slay.
Even if it means God is offended. We no longer care about pleasing the Lord. We care less about holiness, sanctification, purity, and righteousness.
Jane Doe, consenting to the sexual immoral advances of a pastor is just as wicked.
Proverbs 11:22 (NKJV) "As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion."
Men are smitten by a beautiful woman and women know it. Their beauty is enticing.
But the Scriptures is clear.
Proverbs 6:23-29 (NKJV)
"For the commandment is a lamp,
And the law a light;
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
To keep you from the evil woman,
From the flattering tongue of a seductress.
Do not lust after her beauty in your heart,
Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.
For by means of a harlot
A man is reduced to a crust of bread;
And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life.
Can a man take fire to his bosom,
And his clothes not be burned?
Can one walk on hot coals,
And his feet not be seared?
So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
Whoever touches her shall not be innocent."
Jane Doe could have easily set the trap just like Mike Bickle could have set the trap.
They both could have been on the hunt for each other.
The physical attraction brought them to a collision. They've probably conversed and "hit it off." A communication connection. Then after there's been a communication connection, the next obvious step is to explore the physical connection.
A woman feels in love and a man, married man, does everything in his power to "win her over." Just as James 1:14-15 tells us.
"But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."
After the physical contact, they both sit there and realized that it was sin. You begin to use every Scripture in the Bible to make her not say anything about the incident. At this point, it's a panic scene.
Thinking that you could be successful in keeping things quiet (for 20+ years), you go back to service, thinking that if you would look normal and preach normal, no one would know.
The Lord knew from the beginning of time that this would happen.
If Jane Doe was an enemy planted to make a man of God fall, she would have exposed Mike Bickle on the spot, but this didn't happen. Which underscores the fact that it was likely complicity in consensual sexual immorality.
Jane Doe could also have been a victim of Mike Bickle's sexual advances, using his professional position to gain sexual advantages while being a married man, experiencing a midlife crisis, coupled with a troubled marriage.
Or, Jane Doe was smitten by Mike Bickle's position of power and desired him sexually.
With these things in mind, let's remember that Jane Doe may be a victim. Innocent as the white driven snow. But when we peel back the possibilities, Jane Doe, involved with a married "preacher," may have also been complicit in committing sexual immorality.
Both have sinned before God and they are just as much in need of forgiveness AFTER repentance and coming clean about sexual immorality.
For Jane Doe.
2 Timothy 3:4-7 (NKJV) "...lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
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