Luke 9:61,62 TPT
Still another said to him, “Lord, I want to follow you too. But first, let me go home and say good-bye to my entire family.”
Jesus responded, “Why do you keep looking back to your past and have second thoughts about following me? If you turn back you are not fit for God’s kingdom.”
During tonight’s prayer, these verses were given to me. These verses were also given to me when we first started our church.
When Bishop Kim first told us to start a church, I faced a few obstacles. One of them was people—close ones.
People whom I trusted for a long time. We used to fellowship with this church’s brethren who even supported Bishop Kim’s ministry together.
Our family, especially my mom, my relatives, a few friends, and even my first mentor, whom I loved with all my heart and whom I called my spiritual father for the first time.
But who has ever imagined that they could be my hindrance to starting a Holy Fire Ministry and my walk with God?
I had to make a very important decision. I severed them all off at once. Was it easy? Absolutely Not! Did I have to go that far? Absolutely Yes! God made me choose before I start the ministry.
Anything that hindered my walk with God had to be severed until I firmly established the church and created a stronger relationship with God. I had to become strong enough so that I would not be affected by their spirits (their ideas) when I met (talked to) them later.
First, I had to focus on my relationship with God, mature, and get restored. I had to work on letting go of hurt and unforgiveness, restoring my relationship with my husband and children, and apologizing to certain people.
The Ministry and our personal life were not easy. But in those difficult moments, I went to God instead of people. In those difficult moments, talking to your close friends or mother or father may give you some sort of comfort, but it won’t last long and most likely, you will say things that you shouldn’t.
Currently, God restored my relationship with all my family members. But God wanted me to cut my ex-mentor for good because I was not allowed to have two different authorities above me. God chose Bishop Kim for me.
Severing your family does not mean you have to stop seeing them forever.
If you know your family members hinder your walk with God, you need to make a choice. They can’t help you, and their advice can be toxic. If your spiritual (even physical) state is getting worse, you should sever them for a season.
Your comfort should be God. You need to go to God.
This is the statement for all of us. Jesus is speaking through the Bible.
“Why do you keep looking back to your past and have second thoughts about following me? If you turn back, you are not fit for God’s kingdom.”
Let go of things that are holding you tightly. It can be certain things/events in the past, such as hurt, unforgiveness, flesh, pride, people around you, and so on. God is waiting for you. You can’t move forward if something is holding you tightly.
Pastor Yoojin Kim