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sermon

The Declaration Of Now

January 23, 2022 · Apostolic Pentecostal Church (St. Louis, MO)

Transcript of a published sermon by Rev. Bryan Parkey, transcribed from YouTube. An attributed primary source — not Acts 2:38 Life doctrine text.

View the original source →

Summary

Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.

Pentecost: The Promise Is Still Being Poured Out

  • In Acts chapter 2 the church was birthed and the Holy Ghost was poured out; they began to speak in tongues, in languages they had not learned, as the Spirit spoke through them.
  • Onlookers said the people had to be drunk, but Peter answered that they were not drunk as they supposed, seeing it was only the third hour of the day.
  • This is that which was prophesied a long time ago by the prophet Joel: in the last days, God would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh.
  • If you are flesh, you are a candidate to be forgiven and to be filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
  • Peter's call stands: repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
  • The promise is to you, to your children, and to those that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call — He is still calling in 2022, and some had already been filled with the Holy Ghost in this meeting today.

Scriptures: Acts 2; Joel (book-only, as spoken)

The Text: Caleb Comes to Joshua for His Mountain

  • He thanks Pastor Brad DeLong, Bishop Steve Willeford, their wives and families, and this church and its leadership for the invitation, after a great two days together.
  • He is here to persuade: at some point he will make an invitation, and God will make one in hearts; if you will do what you can do, God will do what you can't do — you cannot save yourself, but you can repent and open your heart and life to Him.
  • The reading opens at Joshua 14:6: the children of Judah came unto Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb reminded him of the thing the Lord said unto Moses the man of God concerning them both in Kadesh-barnea.
  • Caleb was forty years old when Moses sent him from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and he brought back word again as it was in his heart, while his brethren that went up with him made the heart of the people melt; he wholly followed the Lord his God.
  • Moses swore on that day that the land whereon Caleb's feet had trodden would be his inheritance, and his children's, forever.
  • Forty-five years later Caleb testified that the Lord had kept him alive; now eighty-five years old, he was as strong that day as in the day Moses sent him — and he asked, now therefore give me this mountain; and Joshua blessed him and gave unto Caleb Hebron for an inheritance.
  • He announces the title he wants to preach from, “The Declaration of Now,” and leads the church in prayer that God's word would complete the work and define good soil in mind and heart.

Scriptures: Joshua 14; Joshua 14:6

Keep Driving Up the Mountain

  • There are mountains in life and ministry that are beautiful and majestic from a distance, but up close and personal they are difficult and even dangerous — however, the reward for climbing the mountain makes the journey worthwhile.
  • Several years ago, when his children were very small, he drove to the top of Pike's Peak in Colorado Springs, 14,000 feet above sea level, drawing the short straw with all his nieces and his own children in the van as the girls in the back sang “The Bear Goes Up the Mountain.”
  • The further he drove, the more fear he felt — at the precipice on his left, at the condition of the road, at the journey in front of him — but at the top, seeing how beautiful it was, he was glad he hadn't given up, turned around, or given in to fear.
  • It was the view from the top of Pike's Peak on an 1893 trip that inspired Katherine Lee Bates to pen the words, “O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain.”
  • Walking with the Lord and leading His people is not for the faint of heart; sometimes your knuckles are white and there is fear in your heart, but if you keep driving up the mountain God will show you things you've never seen and take you to vistas you never thought possible — there's a song waiting to be written, a ministry waiting to be birthed, a breakthrough waiting at the top.
  • At his brother's fortieth birthday in California, they went into the Sierra Nevadas to see the sequoias; his friend Mike, the fit one, ran on up the trail ahead of them — and after a little while came back down the mountain and went back to the car, while the rest just kept putting one foot in front of the other.
  • The race is not to the swift, nor necessarily to the strong, but to him that endureth to the end; be not weary in well-doing, for you shall reap in due season if you faint not — keep praying, keep giving, keep coming to church, keep moving forward even when you don't feel like it.

Remind Each Other: Another Spirit and an Amen

  • Caleb reminded Joshua of a promise God had given them forty-five years earlier that had not yet come to pass; God's word is yea and amen and He is faithful to His promise — whether it was given 45 years ago or 405.
  • Quit looking for a new word: sometimes we just have to remind each other of a word we already have from God — that prophetic word, that prayer meeting, the plan and the destiny God has for you — because it is easy to forget while climbing the mountain or in the crucible of faith.
  • He believes the Holy Ghost sent him to remind this church that there are promises God has given it that it hasn't seen yet, but God hasn't forgotten them, hasn't given up on them, and hasn't abandoned them.
  • 2020 and 2021 were difficult individually and collectively, but Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” — don't give up on your word from God, and don't let your brother forget who he is in God.
  • Caleb recounted the spying of the land: it flowed with milk and honey, but ten of the twelve spies said the giants, the walled cities, and the treacherous terrain were too much; Caleb and Joshua saw the same things but gave a completely different report — let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it.
  • God said of Caleb that he had another spirit in him and had followed Him fully, and that He would bring him into the land whereinto he went, and his seed would possess it; God is looking for people who will look at the God they serve rather than at the giants.
  • God is not looking for you to have all the answers — just an amen in your mouth and an amen in your spirit, your agreement with what God is saying about you, your kids, your grandkids, your future, this church, and this city.
  • Numbers 14:28 is a very powerful verse: as truly as I live, saith the Lord, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you — there is power of life and death in the tongue; set your sail and let it catch the breeze of the Spirit.

Scriptures: Numbers 14:24; Numbers 14:28

The First Declaration: Behold, the Lord Hath Kept Me Alive

  • For several verses Caleb reminisces and remembers the past vividly, but in verse 10 he shifts his focus from the past to the present: that was then, but this is now — whatever disappointment you've had in your life and walk with God, leave it in the past; it's a new day and a new opportunity right now.
  • The first declaration of now: “And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive” — Caleb uses the word behold almost as if presenting himself as exhibit number one: still alive.
  • That word was for the enemy and the naysayer: you thought you were going to take me out in the valley, in the crisis, in the tragedy, in the chaos — but the Lord was with me; if the enemy could have taken you out, he would have, but he couldn't and he didn't, and you are still here because God still has a purpose for you.
  • We made it through 2021, we made it through 2020, through the valley, the fire, and the flood — and we are here now.
  • He has the church read Psalm 124 together, thinking of the near misses and the times they were tempted to throw in the towel: if it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us they would have swallowed us up, and the waters would have overwhelmed us.
  • Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as a prey to their teeth; our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare — the snare is broken, and we are escaped; he whom the Son has set free is free indeed.
  • Some in the house used to be bound — by addiction, by fear, by bad habits — but then was dark and broken, and now they can say: He healed my body, He touched my mind, He saved me just in time; look what the Lord has done.

Scriptures: Joshua 14:10; Psalms 124

The Second Declaration: As Yet I Am as Strong This Day

  • The second declaration is in verse 11: as yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me; as my strength was then, even so is my strength now — for war, both to go out and to come in.
  • If we're going to take the mountain, we must focus on what we can do rather than on what we can't do; I may not be able to do everything, but I can do something — don't underestimate what God can do with your little bit.
  • It was just two mites, but Jesus said she had given more than them all, because she had given of her poverty; it was just five loaves and two fishes, but put what you have into the hands of God and He will bless it, break it, and multiply it.
  • To the seniors: physically you may not be able to do what you used to do, but you are stronger in the spirit than you've ever been, because you've been through some stuff and that which could be shaken was shaken — but it didn't shake your faith, your commitment, or your desire to go up the mountain.
  • He has been in services locked up tight where an elder saint who can't run the house just grabs the pew with a handkerchief and something starts breaking in the spirit; the elder saint is just as important to this revival as the young people — don't check out now, don't hang it up now, don't sit on the sideline now.
  • Caleb was ready to war and ready to travel: he could move himself, position himself, flex and be adaptable for the sake of the mountain, instead of building a cabin, putting down roots, and staying in one position.

Scriptures: Joshua 14:11

The Third Declaration: Give Me This Mountain — for the Future

  • The third declaration is the culmination of the previous two: now I'm still alive, now I have something to offer — now therefore give me this mountain.
  • He wanted that mountain because in it was the cave of Machpelah: Abraham and Sarah were buried in that mountain, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob — he wanted it because of his heritage and his legacy.
  • Our fathers are buried in revival, in outreach, in this experience; don't let the enemy encroach on sacred places or take over territory we used to have, and don't talk about revivals in the past as our best days — let altars be filled with people repenting and the baptisteries filled with people being baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost.
  • But he didn't want it just for the past: in chapter 15 his daughter comes and says, Dad, I need an inheritance — they had been given a piece of property, but they needed water, because without water they would not survive.
  • Caleb said she could have the upper spring and the lower spring — but Caleb couldn't give a spring until he was willing to conquer a mountain; he didn't want the mountain just for the past, he wanted it for the future.
  • If he doesn't conquer this mountain, he's going to have a daughter that's thirsty and nothing to give her; his kids need to know how to intercede, what a move of the Spirit is, and to see signs, wonders, and miracles — so that when the world comes thirsty and hungry, and his kids and grandkids need a miracle, they can call and say, can you pray for me?

Scriptures: Joshua 15

And Joshua Blessed Him: A Blessing in Your Mouth

  • Coming to a close, he points to the next verse, Joshua 14:13, as the key piece: his declaration of now is — I remember what God said to Moses about you and me, I remember how everybody else didn't want it, and right now God wants to give it to us.
  • It is a scary thing sometimes to share what you think God is saying to you — that He may be calling you to teach a Bible study, start a prayer meeting or a fast, work with children, plant a work, or be a missionary; God speaks even to children and plants things in their hearts, and it takes courage to say it.
  • His own default is to think about all the reasons why it can't happen or shouldn't happen — but Joshua blessed him; there is something about the blessing of a brother or sister in Christ that can make the difference between victory and defeat, and in seasons of his own life a word fitly spoken gave him the courage to climb the mountain.
  • We need to get a blessing in our mouth for each other: I believe in you, I see the giftings, I see the callings, I see how God is developing you — God believes in you.
  • Parents should not describe their children in a negative context, even joking; stop them and say instead: you're special, God's called you, God's hand is on you, I'm proud of you, I'm believing for great things for your life.
  • He blesses the congregation in the name of Jesus — what God has been speaking to them, the burden on their hearts, this church, this pastor, this call to make others their focus, and the desire to win their neighborhood and impact their world.
  • In Luke chapter 1, verses 40 through 45, Mary came into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elizabeth; when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke out with a loud voice, blessing what God was doing in Mary.
  • Elizabeth's word stands for everyone climbing: “Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord” — what God has told you sounds impossible, but there will be a performance of it if you keep climbing the mountain.

Scriptures: Joshua 14:13; Luke 1; Luke 1:40-45

Declaring It Now: The Altar Call

  • He asks them to stand: how many have things they want to see God do this year, unfulfilled promises they haven't seen come to pass but are confident God is going to do?
  • Have a now in your mouth and a now in your spirit — don't put it off until tomorrow, until a youth convention, until next year; let there be revival now, harvest now, outpouring now; do what you can do now.
  • He invites them to step out of the pew — come to the front if you can, stand in the aisle, or stand where you are — and open up their hearts and spirits to the Lord; something may have been stirring in the last couple of days, in the leadership meeting, or in this service, and right now is the opportunity to act in faith.
  • As they respond they sing together: “Give me this mountain; I'll stand before the giant declaring I won't be overcome.”
  • They are to bless one another: share what you're believing God for this year, and then pray one for another — brother to brother, sister to sister — God bless my brother, give him strength, I'm agreeing with him that it's going to happen in Jesus' name.
  • Taking it a step further: whoever needs God to work a miracle in their life, whoever needs a mountain taken right now, should lift a hand, and brothers and sisters around them will go and pray and agree together for what they need.
  • The closing prayer declares it in the name of Jesus: we declare the miraculous right now, we declare Your healing right now, we declare the outpouring of the Holy Ghost right now in lives and in families — we've got it now in our spirit; we're declaring it now, Lord.

Scripture index: Acts 2; Joel (book-only, as spoken); Joshua 14; Joshua 14:6; Numbers 14:24; Numbers 14:28; Joshua 14:10; Psalms 124; Joshua 14:11; Joshua 15; Joshua 14:13; Luke 1; Luke 1:40-45.

well welcome to apostolic pentecostal church hallelujah how many are glad you are in an apostolic pentecostal church today acts chapter 2 the church was birthed and the holy ghost was poured out they began to speak in tongues they began to speak in languages that they had not learned but it was the spirit speaking through them and the onlookers said these people are they've got to be drunk and peter said no they're not drunk as you suppose seeing it is but the third hour of the day but this is that which was prophesied a long time ago by the prophet joel in the last days saith god i will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh you want to know if you're if you're a candidate for the spirit of god if you're flesh you are a candidate to be forgiven and to be filled with the baptism of the holy ghost peter said repent and be baptized every one of you every one of you in the name of jesus christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the holy ghost for the promise is to you it's to your children it's to those that are afar off even as many as the lord our god shall call he's still calling in 2022 and some have responded today to that call amen some have already been filled with the holy ghost in this meeting today i think we ought to give the lord a hand clap a praise for that hallelujah amen amen it is such a delight to be here

you're turning to joshua chapter 14 and verse number six thank you pastor brad the long bishop steve williford your wife wives and family and this church the leadership of this church we've had a great two days being together thank you so much for the invitation to be here but you know what all i'm interested in today is god doing what he wants to do i i i won't i won't flim-flam you i won't uh bait and switch you i'm here to get you today paul said knowing the terror of the lord we persuade men i'm here to persuade you i'm here to give you an opportunity and i'm going to make an invitation at some point today and god's going to make an invitation in your heart you know what i'm all i'm asking you just is to just respond to what the spirit asks you to do if you'll do what you can do god will do what you can't do i can't save myself but i can repent i can't open up my heart and life to him and i can let him do the work that's what jesus is able to do if i'll just simply do what i can do it may be as simple as you walking down this aisle and kneeling your knee today that's going to change your life for eternity hallelujah joshua chapter 14 verse number 6 says then the children of judah came unto joshua and gilgal and caleb the son of jepoon of the canazite said unto him thou knowest the thing that the lord said unto moses the man of god concerning me and thee in cades barnea 40 years old was i when moses the servant of the lord sent me from kadesh barnea to spy out the land and i brought him word again as it was in my heart nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt but i holy followed the lord my god and moses swear on that day saying sure to the land where on thy feet i've trod and shall be thine inheritance and thy children's forever because thou hast holy followed the lord my god and now somebody shout now behold the lord hath kept me alive as he said these forty and five years even since the lord spake this word unto moses while the children of israel wandered in the wilderness and now somebody say now lo i am this day four score and five years old as yet i am as strong this day as i was in the day that moses sent me as my strength was then even so is my strength say it with me now for war both to go out and to come in say it one more time with me now therefore give me this mountain where of the lord spake in that day for thou heard us in that day how the anakims were there the cities were great and fenced if so be that the lord will be with me how many feel his presence here today then i shall be able to drive them out i don't care what mountain you're looking at today hallelujah god's going to help you climb that mountain and claim that mountain because he is with you today verse number 13 the last verse and joshua blessed him and gave unto caleb the son of japuna hebron for an inheritance

i want to preach today from this title the declaration of now the declaration of now let's lift our voices to the lord jesus i love you today i thank you for your presence i thank you god for the moving of the holy ghost that's already happened to this house but i pray that your word would complete the work that would define good soil in our mind and heart and lord jesus your word and your spirit would do the work today hallelujah somebody lift your voice to the lord somebody clap your hands and shout unto god with the voice of triumph hallelujah hallelujah do it now god do it today god do it in me today jesus hallelujah

amen you may be seated and there are mountains in life and ministry that are beautiful and majestic from a distance but up close and personal they are difficult and even dangerous however the reward for climbing the mountain makes the journey worthwhile several years ago when my children were very small we drove to the top of pikes peak in colorado springs colorado 14 000 feet above sea level my extended family happened to be there at a meeting with us and somehow i drew the short straw and i had all of my nieces as well as my own children in my van going up that mountain i heard the girls singing in the back the bear goes up the mountain the bear goes up the mountain but as they were singing the bear goes up the mountain the driver the dad was saying i think i need to go back down the mountain because the further i drove the more fear that i had as i looked at the precipice on my left as i looked at the condition of the road as i looked at the journey in front of me i wondered have i made a good decision but when i got to the top and i looked out and i saw how beautiful it was from the top of pike's peak i was glad that i didn't give up i was glad that i didn't turn around and go back to the bottom i was glad that i didn't give in to my interferes but i kept on driving up the mountain hallelujah i've come to tell somebody today that walking with the lord and leading his people is not for the faint of heart sometimes your knuckles are white sometimes there's fear in your heart but if you'll just keep driving up the mountain amen god is going to show you things you've never seen before god is going to take you to vistas you've never thought possible before because you are willing to keep driving up the mountain hallelujah it was the view from the top of pike's peak in an 1893 trip that inspired katherine lee bates to pen these words oh beautiful for spacious guys for amber waves of grain for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain america god shed his grace on thee and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea it was the drive up the mountain it was the view from the top of the mountain that caused her to pin those words hallelujah i've come to tell somebody you're going to make it to the top of the mountain there's a song waiting to be written there's a ministry waiting to be birthed there's a breakthrough waiting on you at the top of the mountain you just got to keep on climbing you got to keep on driving you got to keep your eyes fixed on the promises of god hallelujah my brother turned 40 lived in california and i drove out i flew out there for his birthday party and and uh he had some buddies fly in that he had been to bible school with and i remember one his name was mike and we went to the sierra nevadas to see the sequoias and can climb a mountain and look at the views and and oh mike we got out of the car and and started up the trail he's he's mr fit and uh we we weren't and we were moving a little too slow for him and so he said i'm just going to run on up the mountain see you guys top and and we just started putting one foot in front of the other huffing and puffing and you know what let's just make it up to the next rest stop here hallelujah after a little bit here came mike down the mountain guys i got to get off the mountain i i'm going back to the car hallelujah hallelujah see you mike the bible says the race is not to the swift hallelujah not necessarily to the strong but he that endureth to the end hallelujah i've come to tell somebody be not weary in well-doing for you shall reap in due season if you faint not i may not be moving very fast i may not be moving as quickly as other people i may be huffing and puffing and saying how did i get myself in this but if you'll keep putting one foot in front of the other you're going to walk out into a vista you're going to walk out into anointing you're going to walk out into a nice new season for this church and say thank god we kept driving up the mountain thank god we kept driving around the city thank god i kept praying thank god i kept giving thank god i kept coming to church thank god i kept moving forward even when i didn't feel like it because now i'm on top of the mountain oh somebody clap your hands and praise him right now come on somebody celebrate we're moving to the top of the mountain praise god hallelujah in our text from joshua chapter 14. caleb reminds joshua of a promise that god had given them 45 days prior 45 not days years everybody say years forty five years prior god had given caleb a promise that had not yet come to pass amen anybody want to lift your hand and say there are some things that god has promised me that i haven't yet seen happen go ahead hallelujah let me encourage you amen his word is gay and it's amen and he's faithful to his promise and i don't care if it was 45 years ago or 405 years ago hallelujah i believe now hallelujah we're on the precipice of god answering some prayers and some dreams coming to pass that you've been waiting on for a long time hallelujah hallelujah i want to tell somebody quit looking for a new word sometimes we just have to remind each other of a word that we already have from god hallelujah hey josh do you remember when god spoke to the man of god do you remember when he spoke to moses concerning me and concerning thee hallelujah brother michael chambers sometimes we just have to remind each other as brothers in christ let me remind you of what god said about you let me remind you of that prophetic word let me remind you of the plan and the destiny that god has for you because sometimes it's easy to forget when you're climbing up the mountain sometimes it's easy to forget when you're in the crucible of faith but if a brother or a sister can tell another brother or another sister let me tell you what god said about you whew thou knowest the thing that god said hallelujah how many are thankful for the body of christ i think the holy ghost has sent me here today just to remind apc that there are some promises that god's given this church that you haven't seen yet but god hasn't forgotten them god hasn't given up on them pastor brad god has not abandoned them but he sent me here to tell you hallelujah sometimes you just have to remind each other hey you remember that prophecy you remember that prayer meeting do you remember that evangelist that came through you remember that prophet that came through remember what they said let's get a hold of that word let's get ahold of that world let's pray that word let's expect that word let's expect a breakthrough let's expect a revival like we've never had before let's expect god to do great things oh somebody celebrate right now because you got a word hallelujah hallelujah 2020 and 2021 were difficult for us individually and collectively but let me remind the church of what jesus said jesus said i will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it hallelujah we need to remind each other what god has said about each other don't give up on your word from god and don't let your brother forget who they are in god caleb recounted the events of when moses asked him to spy out the land and he starts reminiscing about what happened 45 years prior about the time that they were sent as spies into canaan and they came back with grapes and pomegranates and figs kind of like that gift basket you all gave me thank you just has so much in it i have to i have to go through it first before my family sees it hallelujah they reported it's a it's a land that flows it flows with milk and honey hallelujah look what god's fixing oh i remember when we came back oh ah look what the lord's fixing to give us look at he's gonna give us lands houses we didn't build vineyards we didn't plan and and uh but uh by the way there are giants and there are walled cities and mountains and treacherous terrain 10 of the 12 spy said we can't do it it's too much we are too small and they are too powerful but but caleb and joshua saw the same thing but they had a completely different report let us go up at once let us go up now and possess it because we are well able to overcome it if the lord delight in us he will bring us into this land and give it to us a land that floweth with milk and honey i don't know about you but i want to live in a land that has a flow in it a land that flows with milk and honey that flows with the blessing and favor of god god said of caleb he said he has a another spirit within him numbers 14 24 and hath followed me fully him will i bring into the land where unto he went and his seed shall possess it god's looking for people that have another spirit in them god's looking for some people that are not going to look at the giants they're going to look at the god that they serve hallelujah yes there are incredible things that god wants to do in your life and in this church but it will not happen without a fight you must be willing to engage the enemy with the help of god if you're going to see a breakthrough amen god's not looking for you to have all the answers he's just looking for you to have an amen in your mouth i hear one and an amen in your spirit hey i don't need an amen i learned to preach in a nursing home i can preach anywhere i don't need an amen for you to for me to preach but you need an amen in your mouth hallelujah because you're a man amen is in agreement with what god's saying about you and about your kids and about your grandkids and about your future and about this church and about this city hallelujah hallelujah caleb and joshua had an amen god said we can do it i know there are mountains i know there are wall cities i know there are giants but if god be for us then who can be against it or i wish somebody get an amen in your mouth and amen in your spirit and say we can do it hallelujah go ahead go ahead i feel it in the house i feel an amen in the house hallelujah get rid of the old me and get it amen hallelujah numbers 14 28 is a very powerful verse god said say unto them as truly as i live saith the lord as you have spoken in my ears so will i do it so will i do to you it's power of life and death in the tongue hallelujah hallelujah god hallelujah lord i believe help my unbelief can these bones live they'll know us i'll just do whatever you want me to do and i'll leave the results up to you because it's not my might it's not my power but it's by my spirit saith the lord of hosts i feel the breeze of the spirit in this house i feel the breeze of the spirit if you'll just set your sail hallelujah you're not going to move forward because of what you can do but if you'll set your sail and let it catch the breeze of the spirit it'll move you to vistas that you never thought possible hallelujah for several verses caleb reminisces he talks about the past he remembers it vividly but in verse number 10 caleb shifts his focus from the past to the present hallelujah that was then but this is now hallelujah the holy ghost has sent me to tell you it's time to shift your focus from the past to the present and and whatever disappointment you've had in your life whatever disappointments you've had in your walk with god whatever disappointments you've had individually and collectively whatever hasn't happened up to this point you need to leave in the past and say that was then but this is that was the end but this is now it's a new day in jesus it's a new opportunity right now hallelujah caleb had three declarations of now hallelujah the first one is in verse 10. i've told you about what happened 45 years ago but let me tell you about right now and now behold the lord hath kept me alive he uses that word behold it's almost like he's presenting himself as exhibit number one still alive thank you very much i think that word was for the enemy for the naysayer so you thought you were going to take me out when i went through that valley you thought you were going to take me out when i went through that crisis you thought you would take me out when i went through that tragedy you thought you would take me out when i walked through that chaos and i walked through that valley over the shadow of death but let me tell you the lord was with me behold he hath kept me alive hallelujah if the enemy could have taken you out he would have but he couldn't and he didn't and you are still here because god still has a purpose for you oh we ought to fill this house with praise we made it through 2021 we made it through 2020. we made it through the valley we made it through the fire we made it through the flood and we are here now somebody shout now behold i'm here now put

psalm 124 up for me on the screen psalm 124. i want you to read it with me we're gonna we're gonna read i want you to i want you to say it with me with the conviction i want you to think about those near misses i i want you to think about the times that you were tempted to throw in the towel don't raise your hand hallelujah even the prophet found himself in a place where he said god just kill me even spiritual people have moments where you feel desolate even spiritual people have moments where you think about turning in the turning end of the ministry and turning in this and giving up and saying you know what it hasn't happened in 45 years why should i hope again hallelujah but let's let's let's let's say this together if it had not been the lord who was on our side eunice advance as we go here hallelujah if it had not been the lord who was where on our side don't forget he's on our side we're on his side when men rose up against us then they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us then the waters had overwhelmed us the stream had gone over our soul hallelujah then the proud waters had gone over our soul blessed blessed be the lord who hath not given us as pray to their teeth behold you're still alive behold the enemy didn't get you behold you didn't get drowned in the flood our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fellas the snare is broken and we are escaped do i have anybody that's been delivered in the house let's stop and praise god you you used to be a drug addict you used to be bound by fear you used to be bound by addiction used to be abound but bound by bad habits but the snare the snare has been broken and our health is in the name of the lord who made heaven oh the snare has been broken let's thank him right now if you're bound today he's already paid the price for your snare to be broken he whom the son is set free is free indeed no more chains holding me you see if you're a guest here and you see some of these people they look nice and they clean up good and they got a smile on their face but it always wasn't that way that was then then you don't want to know about then then was then was dark then was bad then then was brokenness but now look what the lord has done he healed my body he touched my mind he saved me just in time i'm going to praise his name hallelujah each day he's just the same oh come help me praise him look what the lord has done look at the miracles look at the blessing look at the favor hallelujah you got to get a declaration of now in your mouth now i'm still alive and

the second declaration was this verse number 11. as yet i'm as strong this day as i was in the day that moses sent me as my strength was then even so is my strength so i shout now for war both to go out and to come in hallelujah if we're going to take the mountain we must focus on what we can do rather than focus on what we can't do i may not be able to do everything but i can do something hallelujah i may not be strong in every area but i'm strong in some area don't underestimate what god can do with you a little bit it was just two mites but jesus said she hath given more than you all because she has given her poverty it was just five loaves and two fishes but you put what you have girls and young men into the hands of god hallelujah and you let god bless it and you let god break it and you let god multiply it and what seems so little among so many all of a sudden because it's in the hands of the master hallelujah god begins to bless it because somebody said i'm not going to sit on the sidelines but i'm going to give what i have and see what god does with it hallelujah to our seniors don't be intimidated by caleb's testimony well i'm as strong as i was 45 years ago physically you may not be able to do what you used to do but i would i would propose that you are stronger in the spirit than you've ever been before because you've been through some stuff and your faith has remained steadfast hallelujah you that which could be shaken was shaken but it didn't shake your faith it didn't shake your commitment it didn't shake your desire to go up the mountain it didn't shake your desire to see an apostolic outpouring it didn't shake your desire to make others your focus i've been in services that were just locked up like nobody's business i know y'all don't ever have one of those hallelujah but i've been in them and it may just be a senior saint that she can't run the house but she'll just grab the pew maybe get a little handkerchief and something starts breaking in the spirit hallelujah hallelujah and as that elder saint of god hey elder saint amen you are just as important to this revival amen as the young people hallelujah don't check out now don't hang it up now don't sit on the sideline now hallelujah you we are well able to do this because of what you bring to the table hallelujah i'm ready to war in the spirit and i'm ready to position myself to possess my promise caleb said i'm ready to war and i'm i'm ready to travel in other words i can move myself i can put myself in position i don't have to do it i don't have to stay in one position for this to happen but if i need to move if i need to flex if i need to be adaptable i can do it for the sake of the mountain hallelujah caleb could have been building him a cabin and putting down roots and saying i'm going to stay right here but he said i'm ready to fight and i'm ready to travel to see what god wants to do

the third declaration of now was one that we've heard a lot it's the culmination of the previous two that bring us to the final declaration now i'm still alive now i have something to offer and now therefore give me this mountain why do you want that mountain why not that mountain or or that mountain you know why he wanted that mountain because in that mountain was the cave of mcpella and abraham and sarah were buried in that mountain isaac and rebecca were in that mountain jacob was in that mountain hallelujah he wanted that mountain because of his heritage and his legacy our fathers are buried there our fathers are buried in revival our fathers are buried in outreach our fathers are buried hallelujah in this experience our fathers are buried in this we got to fight for it i'm not letting the enemy hallelujah encroach on sacred places i'm not letting the enemy take over territory that we used to have oh i don't want us to be talking about revivals in the past as our best days but i want us to be talking about what's happening right now hallelujah i want people looking for a place to park i want people looking for a place to sit out i want to see these altars filled with people repenting the baptisteries filled with people being baptized and people being filled with the holy ghost hallelujah but he didn't want it just for his past because in chapter 15 his daughter comes and says dad i need an inheritance he said dad you've given us you've given us this piece of property but but we need water i'm thankful to have the land but if we don't have the water we'll not survive hallelujah and caleb says you could have the upper spring and you could have the lower spring hallelujah caleb couldn't give a spring until he was willing to conquer a mountain caleb didn't want the mountain just for the past he wanted it for the future because if i don't conquer this mountain i'm going to have a daughter that's thirsty and i'm going to have nothing to give her hallelujah but if i'll keep climbing this mountain my kid's got to be there my kids got to know about this my kids need to know how to intercede my kids need to know what a move of the spirit is my kids need to see signs wonders and miracles hallelujah hallelujah when the world comes thirsty when the world comes hungry when my kids and my grandkids need a miracle i want them to call me and say hey can you pray for me i've got to have a miracle i'm climbing it not for the past but i'm climbing it for the future now therefore give me this mountain hallelujah and if the lord be with me i shall be able to drive them out as the lord said hallelujah

i'm coming to a close three declarations of now now i'm still alive now i'm able to ward i'm able to travel now therefore give me this mountain they had some some level of success recorded prior in in joshua but evidently the giants had moved back in because the next chapter tells us how he dispossesses them from that city which would become hebron which would become the place a city of refuge it would become the place where david kneels and his anointed king of judah but he says i i i'm going to i'm going to climb this mountain i'm going to possess this promise and if the lord is with me we can do this what has god put in your heart amen don't let your flesh talk you out of a miracle don't let your flesh talk this church out of a miracle caleb knew there's a mountain there's walled cities there are giants up there but give me give it to me give it to me he wasn't asking for a walk in the park he wasn't asking for a bed of roses he knew it'd be difficult he knew he was going to have to pray he knew he was going to have to fast he knew he was going to have to sacrifice he knew he was going to have to fight but he said give it to me anyway hallelujah give it to me anyway hallelujah but it's that next verse hallelujah it's that next verse hallelujah my phone's playing music i don't know how that happened it's telling me to quit i guess how much battery life do i have left brother here's here's the key here's the key piece put up verse 13. joshua 14 13. here's my declaration of now i remember what god said to moses about you and me and i remember how everybody else didn't want it and you did or i did but right now god wants to give it to us hallelujah it's a scary thing sometimes to share what you think god's saying to you it's a scary thing sometimes to say you know what i think gods want me to teach a bible study start a prayer meeting on a fast i i think god may be calling me to be a teacher he may be calling me to be a preacher he may be calling to work with children he may be calling me to plant a work maybe calling me to be a missionary hallelujah god speaks speaks to children plants things in their hearts and the courage to say here's what i think god's saying to us hallelujah but i love these first four words joshua 14 and joshua blessed him hallelujah sometimes my default will be to think about all the reasons why it can't happen or shouldn't happen or it won't happen but joshua blessed him there's something about the blessing of a brother or sister in christ that can make the difference between victory and defeat i could point to to seasons in my life where it was a it was a word fitly spoken that somebody said and i got a hold of that gave me the courage to climb the mountain how many would lift a hand and testify with me you're thankful for the encouragement encouraging words of those that are around you you know what needs to happen we need to get a blessing in our mouth we need to get a blessing in our mouth for each other i believe in you i see the giftings i see the callings i i see how god is developing you and i believe in you god believes in you hallelujah i've heard parents my kid is so you fill in the blank i've stopped them don't say that don't say that they're this or that in a negative context even if you're joking about it tell them you're special god's called you god's going to work through you i'm proud of you god's god's hand is on you i'm believing for you i'm believing for great things for your life hallelujah close your eyes and lift your hands right now i bless you in the name of jesus i bless what god's been speaking to you i bless the burden that god's putting on your heart i bless this church i bless this pastor i bless this this call to make others your focus i bless the desire hallelujah to win your neighborhood i bless your desire hallelujah to make it make an impact in your world hallelujah i bless him hallelujah luke chapter one hallelujah luke chapter one verses 40 through 45 mary is coming to elizabeth's house she enters the house of zacharias and she salutes elizabeth mary's just had that that encounter with the angel and she's just made that declaration be it unto me according to your word she walks in and it came to pass that when elizabeth heard the salutation of mary the babe leaped in her womb and elizabeth was filled with the holy ghost and and she spake out with a loud voice blessed our vow among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb imagine what that did for mary she just had an encounter with an angel she's just conceived amen a child in her of the holy ghost she's got to explain it to her family she's got to explain it to her world she's going to be an outcast but a friend a sister blessed what god was doing in her she said when says this to me that the mother of my lord should come to me for low as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears the babe leaped in my womb for joy and then watch what she says and blessed is she that believed for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the lord stand with me right now mary i know everything that you heard from the angel sounds sounds impossible but there's got to be a performance of those things which we've told you if you'll keep climbing the mountain praise god hallelujah hallelujah how many have some things that you want to see god do this year let me see your hand how many have some un fulfilled promises that you haven't seen come to pass but you you're confident god's going to do it how many want to have a now in your mouth and now in your spirit i don't want to put it off till tomorrow to a youth convention until next year until next century and just just sunday no god to be revival now let there be harvest now let there be outpouring now let me let me do what i can do now if you're with us there shall there shall be a performance hallelujah are you ready are you ready to act in faith does anybody feel that invitation from god and you may be here today and you're like man this is crazy stuff but but yet there's something pulling you and drawing you you may not have have it all figured out that's okay that's okay i don't i don't have it all figured out but what can i do now how could i respond now how can i act upon what god's calling me to do now hallelujah so here's what i'm going to do i'm going to invite you to step out of your pew you may not be able to come to the front but if you just stand in the aisle if you can get to the front come on but if you wanted to stand in the aisle if you're not capable of coming and you want to just stand where you're at i certainly understand that but i want you to open up your heart and your spirit to the lord right now hallelujah hallelujah there's been some things happen inside of you maybe in the last couple days in this leadership meeting maybe in the service today right now is your opportunity to act in faith and say god i'm i'm going to declare now i'm going to declare now god you've got a purpose and you've got a plan for my life god i want to walk in it i want to walk in it hallelujah come on saint of god be sensitive to the holy ghost right now hallelujah hallelujah in the name of jesus now now

give me this mountain i'll stand before the giant declaring i won't be overcome when i go through the rivers i will not be declaring victory i won't be overcome rivers i will not be victory shadow me me no behind oh i will not be victory behind me always my me i rivers i will not be drowned my god victory behind me always beside me here's what we're gonna do we're gonna bless one another if you feel like sharing what you're believing god for this year you do that and then you're gonna pray one for another amen i'm believing god for this and then i'm gonna pray for you god bless my brother god give him strength i'm agreeing with him today it's going to happen in jesus name hallelujah but we're just going to go one to another right now and bless one another and pray for one another in jesus name hallelujah can we do that right now just turn to somebody brother to a brother sister to a sister we're going to pray and we're going to bless one another hallelujah we're going to do this together hallelujah go ahead i believe in you i'm thankful for your gifting i'm thankful for your prayer life i'm thankful for your faithfulness till he comes go ahead bless somebody as long as there is defeat to us as long as there is as long as there my is so take me by the head together as long as there is as long as there will is so the lord's doing some things at apostolic pentecostal church and i believe he's doing them right now i want to ask you to take this a step further this morning i believe we have an opportunity here if you need god to work a miracle in your life you need a mountain taken right now would you just lift your hand in the presence of brothers and sisters that are around you knowing that god's able to do it you need a miracle can we go and pray and agree together right now what these individuals need would you just be led of the holy ghost you need a miracle lift your hand right now and we're going to believe that god who helped caleb take that mountain it's the same god who's going to help us we thank you and we declare it we declare the miraculous right now we declare your healing right now we declare miracles now how we declare the outpouring of the holy ghost right now in lies and in families in the name of jesus in the name of jesus we've got it now in our spirit we're declaring it now lord

Scripture references as spoken: Acts 2; Joel (book-only, as spoken); Joshua 14; Joshua 14:6; Numbers 14:24; Numbers 14:28; Joshua 14:10; Psalms 124; Joshua 14:11; Joshua 15; Joshua 14:13; Luke 1; Luke 1:40-45.