Not By Me

 

• "BUT NOT BY ME"

  By Duane V. Maxey

  February 21, 2021

  Twice in the Bible, we find the words "BUT NOT BY ME," and in both

  places, God is saying that folks are doing things THAT HE IS NOT PART OF --

  things completely apart from His Divine involvement, and without His Holy

  Approval! -- and indeed sometimes they do things that shall "cut them off" from

  his blessing!

  In Hosea 8:4 God says, "They have set up kings, BUT NOT BY ME: they

  have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made

  them idols, that they may be cut off."

  Once, in my own life, God gave me Isaiah 54:15 to inform me that certain

  ones would gather together against me, but that He had no part in it: -- "Behold,

  they shall surely gather together, BUT NOT BY ME.." At the time God gave me

  that verse, I was going through what was the most anguishing part of my life --

  the nearest I have ever been to a complete nervous break-down. It was several

  years before I pulled out of it, but in Kind Love to me, Jesus had let me know that

  HE HAD NO PART with those who had gathered together against me. Thank You,

  Jesus!

  As Charles Albert Tindley wrote in 1905:

  When the storms of life are raging, stand by me;

  When the storms of life are raging, stand by me.

  When the world is tossing me like a ship upon the sea,

  Thou Who rulest wind and water, stand by me.

  In the midst of tribulation, stand by me;

  In the midst of tribulation, stand by me.

  When the hosts of hell assail,
• And my strength begins to fail,

  Thou who never lost a battle, stand by me!

  In the midst of faults and failures, stand by me;

  In the midst of faults and failures, stand by me.

  When I’ve done the best I can,

  And my friends misunderstand,

  Thou who knowest all about me, stand by me.

  The whole time of that Great Anguishing came upon me, partly through a

  blunder I made because of a fiendish, satanic accusation! But Jesus, wanted to

  let me know it was "NOT BY ME!" He didn't bring it on me, but finally He DID

  bring me out of it! Hallelujah!

  When the Lord brought me out of that Horrible Anguish, He gave me Sweet

  Assurance and a Glorious Baptism of the Holy Ghost! Also, in a marvelous way

  He informed me that I was to marry Dorothea Alice Davis. Happily, she accepted --

  38 years ago on the 15th of March, 1983.

  But uniquely, as the sign that we were to marry, God made it impossible for

  me to take a certain secular job -- (I shan't explain that now). And, inwardly, I felt

  confident that God was going to soon put me back into the ministry.

  However, after Dot and I married, for a while I was waiting for God to make

  it clear what church I should take. I turned down a recall to pastor Elkins, West

  Virginia, and I turned down another offer, not feeling it to be right.

  In the meantime, I had been doing a lot of shouting and running the aisles

  in church services, which apparently stirred some carnality. One sister accused

  me of "living off of my wife" -- which of course (probably in her mind was) a sinful

  violation of 1 Timothy 5:8.
• But, brethren, we can be assured that God says of Carnal Accusation, that

  it is "NOT BY ME!" Nevertheless, I am praying for that dear woman and her

  husband and family, and I hope to meet them in Heaven.

  On top of that "NOT BY ME" instance, before I accepted the church to

  which God sent us, two more of the brethren apparently tried to inform me that I

  needed to get a secular job, and stop living off of Dorothea. They were good

  sanctified men, but brethren, THEY WERE MISTAKEN!

  When the Second One of those two brethren tried to tell me that it was time

  for me to get a secular job, I told him calmly, "I am in the will of the Lord!" and not

  long after that time, "The Bell Rang," and God showed me the church I was to

  take.

  Dear Reader, seeking God's guidance, sometimes even good sanctified

  people try to give us direction that God says is "NOT BY ME." In Psalm 27:11 we

  read: "Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine

  enemies." And sometimes we must turn a deaf ear even to friends who try to lead

  us in the way THEY mistakenly think we ought to go!

  Sometimes also, God gives us guidance that others might think is

  unscriptural. About 21 years ago, I was in a doctor's office and a TV was playing,

  when I heard, or saw the words, "You'll be warm where you are going." Then

  shortly after that, I felt led to move South, and we moved to Pahrump, Nevada,

  and the next year to Phoenix, Arizona, where we've been plenty warm most of the

  time. Now, Precious Jesus, I am 83-plus, and...

  Since I’ve now grown old and feeble, stand by me;

  Since I’ve now grown old and feeble, stand by me.

  Since my body is a burden,

  And I’m nearing chilly Jordan,

  O thou Lily of the Valley, stand by me!
• "Also, Precious Savior, please continue to stand by my dear wife,

  Dorothea, all of her way Home, and stand by All of those who read this little email

  who love and serve Thee. This I ask in Jesus Name, Amen."

  * * * * * * *
•