This was taken from my sermon notes that I used in preaching at Haven of Hope on Sunday, July 12th, 2009:

As I had been praying over the last few weeks regarding what to speak about at Sunday Encounter on July 12th, 2009, this is basically what the Lord has been telling me:

“Doors of influence are coming..doors of influence are going to be opened to us as individuals and as a body.  Some of these doors will simply be natural expressions of the well that is overflowing in us to others.  Some of these doors of influence will be opened because we have taken our God given authority and destroyed the enemy that was holding back the door of influence from opening up.”

One of the primary reasons to be influenced by God, besides the benefits to us personally, is that we need to be ready for when these doors of influence are opened.  When the doors of influence are opened, are they going to see you and I and be disappointed or will they see Jesus and be forever changed?

We need to be overtaken ourselves so that we can overtake.  We need to be influenced so that we can influence others with heaven.

 How will this happen?

 A. God will empower you

Psalms 144:1-2 (NLT) “Praise the Lord who is my rock.  He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle.  He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer.  He is my shield and I take refuge in Him.  He makes the nations submit to me.

 **When I looked up what the word “subdue” meant, it is the Hebrew word “radad” and it means: “to spread, to prostrate on the ground, to extend, to spread out (hence to overlay with gold – I Kings 6:32)”

 B. As we go forward in the name of Jesus, He will open doors that will never be shut again!

Isaiah 45:1 says “This is what the Lord says to Cyrus, his anointed one; whose right hand he will empower. Before him, mighty kings will be paralyzed with fear.  Their fortress gates will be opened, never to shut again”

 You and I are much like Cyrus.  There are doors that God wants to open for us to walk in that will NEVER BE SHUT AGAIN!  Woot!  Woot!

Check back soon for Part 5 where we talk about getting your place back!