If You Must Stand Alone...You Can

Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)"...are words written to a group of 1st century believers who were in the midst of apostasy and were under great pressure to return to the old, defunct Jewish system which they had left. As 21st century believers, we too must 'hold fast...without wavering' as we also are finding ourselves in the midst of apostasy. In our case it is the last and great apostasy, the final "falling away" (apostasia/Greek...2 Thes. 2:3) foretold to be a sign of the end of the church age. We're there...it's here! Christians are not only being pressured to conform to the new global interreligious antichrist system being pieced together by the likes of Rick Warren, Tony Blair, and Brian Mclaren and all his emerging co-conspirators, but through other influences that are even more subtle. One of these is something called the "Hebrew Roots Movement", which is actually very similar to what the 1st century believers were pressured with. It's an under-the-radar movement to subjugate Christianity to Judaism, and it is a powerful, cunningly orchestrated movement. Few can discern any of these things, but those who do oftentimes find themselves faced with a dilemma. The floodwaters of delusion have forced them to seek higher ground, or, to give in and be swept away with the Laodicean apostasy. Consequently, many, having been forced to flee to safety, have found themselves 'standing alone'. Nobody would choose to stand alone, but when circumstances beyond our control occur, it can be done. 'You' can do it! This is the topic of this excellent exhortation "Discipleship in an evil day", written by a highly respected bible teacher of days past, and 'one who has been there', Charles Henry Mackintosh (CHM).

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Discipleship in an evil day: "Follow thou me" John 21: 22

C. H. Mackintosh (1820-1896)

The first three chapters of the Book of Daniel furnish a most seasonable and important lesson at a time like the present, in which the disciple is in such danger of yielding to surrounding influences, and of lowering his standard of testimony and his tone of discipleship, in order to meet the existing condition of things.

At the opening of chapter 1 we have a most discouraging picture of the state of things, in reference to the ostensible witness of God on the earth. "In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar, to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the house of his god." (Daniel 1: 1, 2) Here then we have an aspect of things quite sufficient, if looked at from nature's point of view, to discourage the heart, to damp the spirit, and paralyse the energies. Jerusalem in ruins, the temple trodden down, the Lord's vessels in the house of a false god, and Judah carried away captive. Surely the heart would feel disposed to say, There is no use in seeking to hold up the standard of practical discipleship and personal devotedness any longer. The spirit must droop, the heart must faint, and the hands must hang down, when such is the condition of the people of God. It could be naught but the most contemptible presumption for any of Judah's sons to think of taking up a true Nazarite's position at such a time.

Such would be nature's reasoning; but such was not the language of faith. Blessed be God! there is always a wide sphere in which the spirit of genuine devotedness can develop itself — there is always a path along which the true disciple can run, even though he should have to run in solitude. It matters not what the outward condition of things may be, it is faith's privilege to hang as much on God, to feed as much on Christ, and to breathe as much of the air of heaven, as though all were in perfect order and harmony.

This is an unspeakable mercy to the faithful heart. All who desire to walk devotedly can always find a path to walk in; whereas, on the contrary, the man who draws a plea, from outward circumstances, for relaxing his energy, would not be energetic, though most favourably situated.

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