This morning, 1-1-17 I preached this message. Keys to taking your Mountain in 2017, from Joshua 14. Joshua 14: 6-8 says, “Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You know the word which the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. 8 Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God.”
FIVE KEYS TO TAKING YOUR MOUNTAIN IN 2017
1.vs. 8- Wholly Follow The Lord Your God: Caleb wholly followed the Lord for 40 years. In the Hebrew Wholly means, “to consecrate, to fulfill, to get it done to the finish.” Follow means, “to get behind with ones total effort.”
a. It takes 30 to 40 Days to start a new Habit. Conversely it takes 30-40 days to stop a old habit.
b. 40 years later, Caleb’s habit became a life style
c. vs.10, The reason you are still alive is because God has something for you to accomplish.
“And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.”
2. Purpose To Take Your Mountain, vs. 11, “As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in.”
a. 2017 is the year to defeat your enemy
b. 2017 is the Hebraic year 5777- the year of the sword and generational blessings
3. Speak To Your Mountain In Faith, vs. 12, “Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.”
a. Jesus said in Mark 11:23, “if you speak to your mountain and do not doubt…”
b. Do a word study on the word “speak” you will find it is mentioned 2500 times in scripture.
c. Jesus said in the Garden, “I AM” and the soldiers fell back. There is power in you speaking to your mountain. C.S. Lewis said, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” Let this be your mindset in 2017.
4. And God Blessed Caleb, vs. 13-14, “And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. 14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.
a. because He wholly followed the Lord God of Israel (this is the third time mentioned in this passage.)
b. notice a habit became a life style. What habit has become a lifestyle in your life? Is it negative or a positive lifestyle in your life? Time to take your mountain.
5. Make No Excuses: Numbers 14 is the background of this story. Joshua and Caleb gave a good report to Moses and elders. But the other 10 spies gave a negative report to them. Because of the other spies negative report Caleb had to wait 40 years for his inheritance and promise.
a. it would of been very easy for Caleb to “mailed it in” and just quit believing because what the others said and did.
b. because Caleb had a different spirit, ( this is what God’s word said about him.) He refuse to make excuses and continued to wholly follow after the Lord God of Israel.
c. finally at the age of 85 God answered his heart’s cry and reached his Mountain.
Joshua 14:15 is the culmination of wholly following after God. Then the land had rest from war.
Whatever your mountain is in 2017 may you be found faithful and may your land rest from war.
Wellspring Israel 