LET YOUR YES BE YES AND YOUR NO BE NO !! *(Matthew 5:37)
I see that many in the Body of Christ are in a season of pruning. * ( John 15:2. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes that it may bear more fruit )
God is asking of us to allow Him to step away, to cut off, to let go of anything and anyone that we have allowed to attach to us , that was not meant to be a permanent attachment. These unhealthy attachments are like dead branches that need to be completely cut off. Just like a crepe myrtle tree that needs to be cut back and down to bare limbs in winter, only to yield full budding blooms of glorious splendor in the spring. Before those branches are cut off, they look healthy and strong, and full of life. But if left on, they become heavy , unable to maintain their natural shape and beauty. This pruning allows development of strong branches , allows more sunlight to reach the inner branches promoting health and maturity . Diseased , dead, damaged branches must be removed to prolong the life of the tree. What was once allowed and a part of the tree must now be cut off and removed for the sake of life, being able to grow and flourish and mature .
The Body of Christ must be willing to let go of those things that He leads us to leave behind. (* Philippians 3:12-14). We must embrace new beginnings and allow our times in the wilderness, alone in His presence , to reveal His plans and purposes for our individual lives . *( Isaiah 43:18-19 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I AM doing a new thing ! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I AM making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.)
Some people , places, assignments, are not meant to be a permanent fixture in our lives. For everything there is a season. *(Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ). We must remain humble and quick to hear and obey, discerning our seasons like the sons of Issachar *(1 Chronicles 12:32)
As Holy Spirit begins to reveal these people and places to us, we must be willing to give Him our YES. That YES must be a complete surrender and complete obedience. Partial obedience is disobedience . Disobedience is an open door for the enemy to attack us both in the physical and mental realm. Obedience is better than any sacrifice that we could offer to The Lord . * ( 1Samuel 15:22)
Often times, we are led to separate from friends, family or groups of people that we feel we have an obligation too. God will lead us to set boundaries in relationship and environments that have become unhealthy and harmful to us in ways we sometimes don’t see. *(Matthew 10:37-39 )
God wants us to lean, rely, and trust on Him to be our everything to meet our every need. The closer we walk with God, the more closed our circle of friends will often become. Everyone that we expect to go with us will not be willing or able to go. *(Matthew 10 :34-36). Fear of rejection, fear of man, fear of loneliness , fear, fear, fear, must not be tolerated. Fear will paralyze you and keep you from fully obeying Gods leading. God is desiring to free His Body from these fears. FEAR OF THE LORD is an absolute must!!!
A resounding NO is also required. We must say NO to the people and things that God says are not for us. We must say NO, to things that our prior generations failed to say NO too. The generational things that follow our bloodline and we have seen become curses and wreak havoc in their lives.
Obedience unlocks the door to our victory which is assured in Christ Jesus. *( 1Corinthians 15:57) Obedience will enable us to cut off the head of the giants that have been mocking and stalking our bloodlines, waiting to attack the next generation.
Jesus was completely obedient to The Father and completely surrendered and yielded to Holy Spirit. *( John 5:19-20 Jesus gave them this answer. “ Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. Yes, and He will show Him every greater works than these, so that you will be amazed .)