Mr. I'll-Make-A-(Martyr)-Out-Of-You

My heart is deeply troubled...

I love being united with others through Christ. However, it breaks my heart when a brother has the right guidance and is on the right path, yet still commits a grievous sin. Any wise man can tell you how it is all the more difficult for a good man to see his offenses, especially when he believes that he's committing them for just reasons...

Such is the case with the Kim family, particularly the father Paul...

Recently, on the very last day of the year, the Kim family tragically said goodbye to their young son, Micah. He was only 5-years-old when he was taken by a bad case of influenza. Again, I do not pretend to even understand what this family is going through, or what the loss of a young child can do to someone... but I feel like this is something that needs to be discussed before it goes too far (if it hasn't already...).

Um... The Kim family, the father, has turned his son into a martyr... Of his own accord, Paul has gone ahead and even canonized the young boy. There is a prayer dedicated to Micah, and people have been praying, I believe TO him, in hopes that he will heal others.

(All photos have been taken from Paul Kim's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heypjk?igsh=dzRkM3QzczZkaWtm)

I am worried that this could be considered a grievous sin 🚫

I believe it could be sinful for a number of reasons.
For one, Micah may have been baptized and a follower of God, but he was too young to actually contribute WORK to Christ. Yes, he died young; what about the other children who suffer from disease and are not saints?

"But someone will say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!" (James 2:18-19)

If people are praying TO Micah, and not to God THROUGH Micah, then it turns the glory away from God. It is man assuming he has the power to simply decide who is a saint. It is man assuming that he not only knows what takes place in Heaven, but that he can just assume others' roles there. It gives people the idea that man is on the same playing field as God, because it causes people to seek comfort from earthly matters, rather than the Lord -- the ONLY one with the power to answer our prayers!

The only knowledge that we have about "prayers to saints" from God Himself is in Revelation, and this could very well only be a misinterpretation. Some passages claim,

"they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers to the saints," while others state, "the prayers of GOD'S PEOPLE." (Revelation 5:8)

One interpretation claims that the prayers have been interceded by the saints. But, if we are to assume based off God's Word, then He is the ONLY one who can hear AND answer our prayers.

Instead, recall Acts 14, when Paul healed a disabled man while preaching in Greece, and the people offered sacrifices to him because they thought he was a god! Paul began to lament, crying out, "Friends, why are you doing this? We, too, are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things (idols) to the living God." (Acts 14:15)

Or, perhaps hear God's Word for yourself, when He said to us, "Let no one be found among you ... who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord." (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)
Or, "When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony." (Isaiah 8:19-20)
Or, when Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

Grief can be a saving grace, for it can be a driving factor in bringing people closer to God! 🙏 But, in their efforts to navigate through their grief, some people "give into" anything that brings a semblance of comfort: drugs, indulging in leisure, or believing their child is a saint that can answer their prayers...

Again, I have never lost a living child, but I did lose two children -- our first son, even -- through miscarriage. I used to pray to him, and would ask him to protect our family, to bless us with his future siblings -- how silly I was! 😔 No one, least of all an 18-week-old fetus, has the ability to do such amazing acts -- only God!! 🙏✝️

And, having experienced loss, I know how desperate we become to find answers. You prayed for something with all of your heart, the way God told you to, and He still didn't answer. You question everything: did I do something wrong? am I living in sin? did I repent enough? You begin to wonder if maybe God DID abandon/punish you...

So, you commit the ultimate act. You decide to idolize the one person who could NEVER punish you, who could NEVER refuse your prayers: your young son. You personally decide to immortalize him, so that his death can have meaning.

You know that we are never promised anything in this lifetime. You know that God gives us what we NEED, not what we WANT -- even if that need has to come in the form of adversity or suffering -- remember Job suffered for the sake of his pride and believing that he knew BETTER than God. You know that God still hopes that, in spite of the suffering, you will STILL turn to Him and follow the path of righteousness 🙏

I ask you to please reflect on your faith, even if it means questioning the institutions that guide you, for I recently had to leave the Roman Catholic Church for this reason. I ask you all to PLEASE consider everything that has been taught to us. Please stop this idoltary so that others do not continue to be led astray. Only God can answer our prayers; all glory goes to Him 🙏✝️💛

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Friends, I ask that you please pray for me 🙏 I have been undergoing another big transformation with my faith. I have to confront my past, no longer be ashamed of it, but I also need to confront the ones who are misinterpreting God's Word.
I plan on publicly addressing the Kim family on social media -- and I'm NOT looking forward to it! 😅 I know that this could cause a lot of controversy and negativity, and I absolutely despise putting myself in the public eye, but I feel I need to do this. Nearly 500,000 people follow this man, many who are already praying to Micah... Any advice is greatly appreciated!