We seem to have two problems that can prevent us from recovering from the false and moving on to the real.
For one thing, we may not yet realize we are in false-Christianity.
That's how it is for the vast majority of Christians – today, in the future, but also throughout history. Jesus, Paul, Peter, and others throughout the New Testament speak of falseness in what calls itself of Jesus Christ even in the first "churches". Yet most "churches" and their "pastors" and "apostles" and "teachers" and "prophets" manage to turn those warnings aside, and even pervert those warnings so they seem to warn against doing or believing anything these false leaders say, instead!
And when we grow up in that, for example, those lies and perversions of scripture seem as normal and invisible to us as air. And, being human beings, we will most often choose to kill and hurt others and ourselves, rather than change how we believe when we are convinced we have "The Truth".
Consider all the so-called "Bible-believing Christians" in the USA today, for example. Their modern "Bible" is full of outright fabrications in translation. Doesn't matter – King James or NASB or NIV and so on. Each and every one of them carries flagrant and soul-deluding mistranslations that are worshipped and defended as if they are Jesus Himself. And those so deluded have no issue with – for example – using their human-inspired "scripture" to promote the emotional and physical torture and killing of Lesbians and Gay men, or to support and turn a blind eye to those who do. In fact, their hearts blaze with the devil's glory to do so!
But Gay and Lesbian Christians do the same to themselves and each other. We also too often worship those same blasphemous mistranslations, and we torment and even kill ourselves and each other – our hearts, our bodies, and/or our faith. The devil's glory then burns in us, as well.
And that brings up the second issue the prevents us from recovering away from false-Christianity and healing in the real:
Even when the facts are made apparent to us, we will not let go of that devil-glory and reach out, instead, to the real Jesus.
I did this too, for many years. It's very common. I used to work with a lesbian, for example, that had developed a ferocious hatred for anything Christian because her mother was a "Christian" who, for more than twenty years, had delighted not only in publically humiliating her Lesbian daughter and her daughter's twenty-year spouse, but also in being just generally and gleefully hateful and greedy, all while boasting of her "assured salvation" in Jesus Christ. This mother is one of those "Christians" the Bible warns us will cause others to malign the real way of truth (see, for example, 2 Peter 2:2).
When I asked this lesbian daughter once why she continued to have any contact with this horrible, hurtful person, much less continue to believe her opinion of her and her spouse and so on, she was astonished and replied, "Because she's my mother!"
But think about that (in the way that this lesbian daughter would not):
Even though it was killing her, driving her to self-hatred that was truly pushing her towards losing her mind, towards wanting to kill herself, and even towards choosing evil in her own life, this Lesbian daughter would not move to save herself by distancing herself from the evil monster. She LOVED the evil monster. Put and kept her identity focused on that evil monster. Refused to not believe that evil monster.
And worse, this Lesbian daughter had at different times in her life either ignored or told the real Jesus to stick it in His ear – because she was sticking with her evil monster, instead of Him.
At some level in her heart, this lesbian daughter had come to understand what an evil monster her mother was - she knew it. Talked about it, even. But still she would not let go of her.
Instead, she clung to death – and despised and turned away from Life.
And in doing so, she's ruined not only her life in this world, but also in the next. All because she won't let go of the false, and take on what's real.
How often do we, who cling to our family and church opinions of us, and refuse to let go of mistranslations of God's real Word, and so on, do the same thing?
I used to do it – a lot. Figuring out that the so-called "scriptures" that seemed to condemn Gay and Lesbian people were intentional mistranslations or self-serving misinterpretations was only the first required step on the way to the Real Saving Jesus.
That's what so many Gay and Lesbian Christians miss. That's why we continue to struggle in spiritual, emotional, and even physical agony for so long. That's why we continue to teach false-Christianity even in Gay churches. That's why we continue to be a force for evil in our own and others' lives, even once we've seen the facts of God's real Word about Gays and Lesbians.
You see, the second step – to let go of the false, to take on the new – is actually easier, but also a hundred times harder, than the first.
Let me explain.
It's easier because truly – all we have to do is let go. Go to your desk right now and pick up a pencil or pen or something. Hold it up in front of you – now let it go. That was easy to get rid of, right?
Now go to your kitchen, and get a paper towel. Put it under the faucet, and soak it through. Hold it up in front of you. Now drop the water out of it.
No, really. Let the water go.
Can't do it?
Or maybe you can get the water out, but you'll have to get some help.
Time, maybe. Like, time for the water to evaporate out – assuming the air around that towel isn't so humid it can't dry out! We can also use time to get rid of false-Christianity, IF we are staying away from things that will add or maintain the water (things like continued exposure to false-teachings, for example).
Or a tool. Like a light touch with a hair dryer, to get rid of the water. We can also use tools – like exposure to the real Gospel, and making the effort to find and study the real Jesus (which does NOT mean hanging out in Gay or straight false-Christian bible teachings or churches and continuing to absorb their values and teachings!).
We NEED to dry the water out of our towel. It's not supposed to be filled with common sink water. And as long as it IS filled with common sink water, it's never going to be able to absorb the Living Water that we're really needing.
And getting rid of that impure, common, human-fed and -led kitchen water you've absorbed and want to cling to, so that you can be filled instead with the real Holy Spirit is going to be the easiest – and the hardest – thing you've ever done.
But it is required.
It's required of every human being on the planet: to truly walk away from everything that isn't Jesus. To let go even of our most precious emotional attachments, if and when they put themselves between us and God.
See, Gay and straight Christians alike rightly elevate family and church relationships – we cling to them, love them, protect them, and thank God for them. We are supposed to do that, after all.
But we "conveniently" forget the rest of what Jesus told us: that even those relationships must be put by the wayside, if and when they stand between us and the real Jesus.
Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. [Matthew 10:34-39]and,
Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? I tell you, no, but rather division; for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” [Luke 12:51-53]and,
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. [Matthew 7:13-14]False-Christianity is one of the devil's main lies, and has been for 2,000 years. In fact, false-Christianity is the false prophet he's going to use and promote more and more as the End Times approach and unfold. While some like to argue that Islam or New Age or something else will be that false prophet, the whole idea of "false" is that it must be something that pretends to be by and about Jesus, but isn't. Nothing else qualifies, then, except the same false version of Christianity we are warned about not only in Revelation but also throughout much of the New Testament.
That's why we have to be willing to let go even of our families and friends and churches when they fill us with false teachings.
False teachings deny the real Jesus Christ!
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. [1 Peter 2:1]Take it upon yourself to pray, today, that the Holy Spirit will begin drying the deceitful devil-water out of your heart, and filling you instead with the Living Water of the real Jesus Christ.
Pray that He will grant you the emotional strength you need to turn away from the addictive power of false-Christianity and towards His healing.
And then make it part of your daily efforts to work with the Lord on this. To do your part:
- studying the real Scriptures (ALL of them, not just the corrected "clobber" passages),
- sticking with the real Jesus and only the real Jesus even when if it costs you, and
- asking the Lord for wisdom in your daily life.
It's what's required of all of us.
Why? Because that's where the real treasure is! And that's where our only salvation is.
The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [Matthew 13:44-50]
...Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. [Matthew 6:21]
