"Being a Positive In a Negative"

Last week I ministered a message called "Being a Positive in a Negative Environment". Most people get up each day and go into a negative environment, and if you are not prepared, you will become the environment you are assigned to change. I used 1 Samuel 16.

1 Sam 16:14-23

14 A Distressing Spirit Troubles Saul
But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him. 15 And Saul's servants said to him, "Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. 16 Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well."
17 So Saul said to his servants, "Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me."
18 Then one of the servants answered and said, "Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the LORD is with him."
19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, "Send me your son David, who is with the sheep." 20 And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul. 21 So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. 22 Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight." 23 And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him. NKJV

Here are some highlights.

* The evil spirit was from the Lord (4x's), not meaning that the Lord is a evil spirit, but God knows and is in control of every evil spirit that is coming against you. If it is there, God has a purpose for it to work all things together... If God allowed it, it is for your advancement, promotion. Don't run from it, but run to it. Why? You have the power to change it, and it is only there as a door to your next level. If there is no giant, then there is no giant killer. The very fact the giant is there is an indicator you are about to become a champion!

* Saul's problem was the door for David's promotion. Many of us complain about the problem, curse the problem, rebuke the problem, try to pray away the problem. But the reason it is there is its pain is going to position you to birth something that is presently unseen to your eye. Pain is the unveil of potential. Potential is nothing more than your future locked up in the present. Pain is the key that unlocks greatness in you.

* David had quite a resume. Notice he didn't talk about how good he was, Saul's servant's advertised for him. Why? When you are really excellent, everybody will see it and say it. All you have to do is to define your gift, perfect your gift, and release your gift and your gift will make room for you.... In other words the room of greatness is determined by the release of your gift.

* David was good at more than one thing. If you are really going to excel in the technological age, you will have to be good at more than just preaching, singing.... If not you will be a flash in the pan, a one hit wonder. Everyone of us has a gift cluster inside of us (combination of 3-4 gifts) that we must maximize.

* David was with the sheep. There are some people who are right now with the sheep, promotion is on the way. You are anointed but you have been faithful with the little (Luke 16) which is going to release the big thing. Diligence is doing a little thing a long time till a big thing happens. Can you be anointed for a big thing but remain faithful with a little thing?

* David didn't comment on the problem, he change it. The moment we comment on a problem, we prolong it, empower it, and multiply it. Saul's servants commented, David changed it. Are you allowing the people on your job to influence you ate the water fountain with negative information, or are you going to talk back. Some of us allow them to talk negative because we want to keep them as friends, lose them, they are nothing but negative. You are snared by the words of your mouth. Many are locking themselves in the present because of their words. You are giving life to your problem.

* Just like with a car battery that is dead, you can not have a positive and a positive, but you must have positive and a negative for their to be power. Some people are so holy, they never get in a negative environment (christian job, christian friends, christian clubs). Power is only released when you are a positive in a negative.

* Don't let the environment change you, you change it. Learn to be silent till it is time to shout. The silence gives power to the shout. It was not the shout that made the walls of Jericho fall, it was 7 days of silence. Most of us are shouting for 7 days then silent.... Can you be still and know that He is God? In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.

More later...

Blessings,
Craig