When Your Anointing is Not Welcome

Narrator: Welcome to Self Talk with Dr. Ray Self, the place where you can get real answers to tough questions. Jesus promised you abundant life, but poor choices and dark forces stand in your way. It is time to learn how to overcome the obstacles that keep you out of your promised land. Knowledge of God will pave the path for you to walk in his Blessing.

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Dr. Ray: Hello and welcome to Self Talk. I'm your host, Dr. Ray Self. Very glad you're with me today. I want to issue a special thanks to my sponsor, Dr. Jess Youngblood, and Premier Family Care in Arab, Alabama, Blountsville, Alabama, and Guntersville, Alabama. What an amazing medical doctor with an amazing staff. If you're in the North Alabama area, this is the doctor you need to see; the wonderful, Christian, Spirit-filled doctor. So, I want to talk to you today about when your anointing is not welcome. You know the story of Jesus when He, He goes back to Nazareth; and He's in Nazareth and He said - the bible said - He could do no miracles because of their unbelief. You know, they, they were talking about Him because they said, “Isn't this Joseph's son? Isn't this Mary’s son?” And then Jesus said in Matthew 13:57, “And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and his own household.’” What He was saying was this uh, this problem with familiarity and unbelief worked against Him. Now, here He was in His home. He was in His home with His family and the people who knew Him the best but they could not recognize the Spirit of the Lord God upon Him. They could not recognize His identity, who He really was. They said in verse 55, Matthew, Chapter 13, “Is this…” this, “...is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not…” this, “...His mother called Mary? And his brothers James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas? [We know this guy; who does he think he is?” And then verse 58, sadly, it says “And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.” 

So they were so familiar with Him, they didn't know Him. And I've seen this– I call– it's known as the Nazareth Principle. And, and you know this hurts, this is painful. But I've seen this play out many, many times where you're a gifted person, you're filled with the Holy Spirit, you know you have a call of God on your life but it seems like those closest to you don't get it. But there's an assignment, and you may travel or you go to another… you go on a mission trip or you go to another town and to– and you're called to minister in another church, and you're fully recognized and embraced. You know the old saying that says don't go where you're uh, uh, tolerated, go where you're celebrated? Well, this Nazareth Principle, I've seen it play out time and time again. And it is painful and it hurts. Uh, it's played out in my life. I've noticed it and I'm not going to call out names or anything but you know, my family knows me, uh, some of my friends from back home know me. I remember I went to a high school reunion some years ago and uh, they asked me what I was doing, I said well, you know, I'm a minister and I travel and I speak and I teach. And they said, “No, really, really, what do you do? Come on, Ray. Th– this– who, who are you?” And then when I tried to tell them what I did, they got strangely quiet. They didn't know really what to say or what to do with me. 

You see, this Nazareth Principle plays out in the lives of many people who are Spirit-filled and it hurts. And I wish I could say okay, I got a quick fix for this. But here's the thing, the thing we need to understand. We have been given an assignment and God has people that are assigned to us there are people out there that God has assigned to us that need our anointing. They need your anointing, they need your gifting, they need what you have. And it may not be, you know, in your, your neighborhood. It may not be inside your own home, it may not be in your home church. You know, it's great if it is, that's fantastic if it is, but it may be outside your church. It could be on the mission field. How many times have you heard the stories of when the missionaries talk about the miracles that they see on the mission field? “Man, you know, I was in the– I saw somebody raised from the dead and I've seen blind eyes healed.” And, and actually, truthfully, folks, listeners, I've experienced this too on the mission field. I've seen quite a few miracles on the mission field. But then you say, “Well, why don't we see that here in America?” Well, sometimes I believe this familiar spirit gets in the way and people know you. They have you pegged as the person they grew up with, they have you pegged and labeled as somebody God didn't label you with. This problem of labeling is, is horrible. It's actually kind of demonic. 

You see, God has labeled you as His child, as a joint heir with Jesus Christ, as a member of the royal priesthood. As His anointed servant, His anointed minister of the gospel. You've been labeled by God you know, correctly, but you've been mislabeled many times by those closest to you. And it hurts, it really hurts. And you know, I, I wish I could say “Well, you know, this is what you got to do to get over it.” No, you know, it really does hurt. And, and honestly, you may feel rejected. I would bet you if I was around 2000 years ago and talking to Jesus, He felt rejected at Nazareth. He felt the pain of these people who said, “Well, isn't this the carpenter's son? We know who this guy is. I mean, you know, he's just a carpenter's son.” Here he was the Son of God, the Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, standing right in front of them, and they go, “Isn't this just the carpenter's son? Who, who does he think he is?”

I've noticed that a lot of people close to me don't get me. They don't understand me. But I can travel and I'm very blessed and been able to travel to a number of cities and in a few Nations, and it seems like when I travel and I speak, I'm more accepted than I am by many people who are really close to me. Now, there are obviously people close to me who love me and understand me and get me, but many times this Nazareth Principle that Jesus experienced for us is something that we need to be aware of. Now, Jesus was our example. He was our model. The reason I think this story of Jesus being rejected in His own hometown… it was kind of a warning for us that God put into the bible saying, “Hey, you may be rejected by people close to you who do not understand you.” But at the same time, think about Jesus. When He left Nazareth, He went to I think, Samaria and Capernaum and, and Jerusalem; and He was celebrated wherever He went, and signs and wonders and miracles. He walked on water, He raised the dead, He cast out demons, He healed the sick– sick, He fed the five thousand. He did all this sort of stuff but not [coughs] excuse me, in Nazareth because of the Nazareth Principle.

You know, God has a group of people… that He's assigned for you. There are people that need your anointing. Listen to me, listeners. There's people who need your gifting, there's people out there that, that they're in your– they’re part of your assignment. These are the ones, these are the– if you're a shepherd, these are the sheep that you've been called to and there's people that are waiting for you. And so it is discouraging, but don't be discouraged and know that if you are rejected by people closest to you and maybe in your own home church, maybe within your family - and I can tell you stories of, of even within marriages where one spouse does not understand the gifting on the other, especially if they're unequally yoked. But Jesus experienced things to teach us, to show us, to show us the way. So your anointing may not be welcome in certain places and it may not be welcome in places that are familiar to you and places that that you like to call home, but your anointing is welcome in a number of places that God has called you to. And so when you go and you obey and you follow the Lord and you do what He's called you to do and you find these people and you have these divine appointments, you know, these divine– listen, you should always be watching for divine appointments. Be aware of divine appointments. And you’re obedient and you're faithful with these divine appointments. That's where your anointing is celebrated and that's where God wants to use you. It's just uh, it's just amazing. 

I run across divine appointments all the time. Now, in ministry sometimes you know, my divine appointment could be speaking in front of a church or maybe doing a conference– at a marriage conference this last weekend and it was it was just incredible. It was incredible. Uh, maybe it could be um, you know, at a, at a, at a conference or something special or could be standing in line at Walmart. I had a divine appointment last week - don't laugh at me, okay - but I was doing, okay, I'll just be honest with you. I was doing an aquatics class, okay? It's aquatics aerobics class just trying to work out some kinks in my shoulder and joints and stuff, and there was a lady there before class, and um, I began to witness to her and she was talking about earning her way to heaven and she was talking about all these things she needed to do to get right with God and I was able to explain to her what salvation is and how salvation is by faith in Christ alone - this is our way. And I said, “Church is wonderful, we should go to church, but the church doesn't save you, it's your relationship with Christ.” And I could just feel the anointing as I talked to her about this one-on-one relationship that Jesus wants and, and how He is the way, the truth, and the life and nobody comes to the Father but through Him and He is our savior and it's by grace we're saved, not by works. And I knew it was a divine appointment. And so sometimes your divine appointment is one person and sometimes your divine appointment could be… maybe you are speaking at a conference or at a church.

But listen, with the Nazareth Principle, sometimes the people you want to understand you the most don't get it and they don't really understand or embrace your anointing. They, they don't even know what to do with it. And uh, sometimes honestly I feel like that my family - where I'm from, I'm actually from Memphis Tennessee and we used to have these huge family gatherings. And what we would do is not only we invite our cousins and their– our aunts and uncles and our cousins' friends and, and anybody who didn't have a place to go for Thanksgiving. And here I am, a minister, and I would love just to give prophetic words to people but they don't know who I am. You know, they, they didn't, they don't understand. And sometimes… most people don't even ask me what I do. They could care less what I do. They just want to talk about themselves. But you see, your anointing has a place. Your anointing has people. God has assignments for your gifting, assignments for your anointing. And you do want to be where you're celebrated, not just tolerated, yes you do. And you know, this, this just being tolerated sometimes is worse than being rejected because it's that old lukewarmness, okay? “Yeah, she's a little different, he's a little different, we'll, we'll just put up with them.” But when you find that place where you're celebrated, when you find that place where your gifts can flow where your anointing can just– it's just drawn out of you. It's an incredible place and even Jesus had to go to those places. And for Jesus, it wasn't His hometown; it was not His own family until later. Until I think finally His family started to get Him. It took them a while. 

And so the Nazareth Principle is a very real principle. Don't be discouraged with it. Yeah, it hurts and it's painful, but no– be, be encouraged that just like Jesus who could not– was not really accepted in Nazareth… man, was He accepted all over the world and now He's been accepted by millions, and millions and millions of people and you just say, “Wow, those people at Nazareth back then, they really missed it. Didn't they really miss it?” So I want you to be, to be encouraged and to know that yeah, if there is a place where your anointing is celebrated, your gifting is, is really appreciated and embraced. And there's other places where it's not… you know, I wish I could say you know, all this is easy but it's, it's not an easy walk. But do this: be led by the Holy Spirit. Be constantly looking for the people that God has assigned to you and be faithful. If it's one person you, you meet on a sidewalk, be faithful with that one person. It could be a thousand people, it could be one person, it could be 50 people. But there are people. There are people in places that need your gifting, your particular gifting, and your anointing. And we're– and there are places where you are celebrated, not just tolerated; where you are used by God for His glory and for His honor. You see, that's what you do when your anointing is not welcome. Know that there are people waiting for you. You may be in the wrong place and what they used to say, you know, you have to dust, dust off your feet. The disciples had to do that too, they did not receive you. But you know, pray for them. Know that Jesus experienced the same thing that you're experiencing. 

And I know I'm talking to you, I know there's people here that you haven't been recognized. I mean, people… you haven't been recognized in your own home sometimes, in your own church, in your own… You know, I'm not telling you to leave your church, I'm not saying that but you know, you're overlooked. You're kind of on the outside looking in. You're not on the in crowd. Let me tell you something, God has places for you. He has people for you where you will not be overlooked. You will be embraced, you'll be honored, you'll be celebrated because they need the gifting, the anointing, the presence of God that dwells within you. So let me say this prayer for you. This will be a short podcast today. Let me say this prayer for you.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for each person listening to me. I thank you for the anointing, I thank you that you have filled us with your Holy Spirit and Father, for someone listening to my voice who has not received your Holy Spirit, now Holy Spirit, I ask you to touch them now, in the name of Jesus Christ, Father. And Lord, show us. Make it clear to us where our anointing is needed, where our gifting will be celebrated, and where we can be most effective for you, Father. Make it clear to everyone listening to my voice what that place is where we need to be, who we need to talk to, what you will have us do. And Father, we commit to you that we’ll be faithful. If it's a few things, Father, we’ll be faithful; if it's many things, we'll be faithful. But Lord, we want to do this to serve you; to honor you. We want to be where the anointing and the gifting you have given us is received, Father. All for your glory, Father,  and because of your great love. In Jesus’ name, amen. Amen. 

I'm Dr. Ray Self, I really appreciate you listening. Uh, please uh, please– oh, you know what? If… it– at Apple podcast, there's places where you can review podcasts. That really helps us. Make sure you download, subscribe, all that good stuff. That really helps us. If you'd like to make a donation, uh, that would really help us a lot. You can go to my website - I'm president of International College of Ministry, many of you know that. You can go to icmcollege.org, icmcollege.org/donate, or go to my Patreon page, it's uh, patreon.com/selftalkicm, and be a partner. You know folks, 20 bucks a month, ten dollars a month would help a lot. Um, partners really help us continue to do this. So I love you much, thank you for listening, I'm Dr. Ray Self, and… adios amigos.

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This is Dr. Ray Self. Thank you very much for listening to my show. If this show has been a blessing to you and if the Holy Spirit so leads you, I would appreciate you becoming a partner with me so we can reach more people with the truth that will set them free. You can do this very easily by going to patreon.com/selftalkicm. That is patreon.com/icm. I appreciate you very much listening. Don't forget to check out my book, Hear His Voice, be His Voice, available on amazon.com. Don't forget to follow my show and download every episode, it really helps. God bless you