A Little Light Reading.
Alone in the crowd.
Joe Crews.
Recently I discovered some very
interesting things about a little
sea creature that rates rather low
on the biblical scale. The unclean shrimp
has a most marvelous manner of changing
clothes six or eight times a year through
a process called molting. Apparently a Alone in the Crowd
new suit begins to grow underneath the
old skin. By scraping around on the rocks,
the shrimp begins to shred and loosen the
older outer layer, which soon sloughs off
completely, revealing the classy new cov-
ering underneath.
At the time of each molting, another
fascinating phenomenon occurs. In re-
sponse to some built-in primitive instinct
every shrimp deliberately places a grain of
sand in a special place in its head. At every
molting cycle the little rock is discarded
along with the old skin, and a new grain of
sand is put carefully in place.
Because of the unique function of
those rocks, they have been named “status
stones” or stones of standing. They are ab-
solutely necessary for the survival of these
hardy marine animals. Without them the
shrimp would be constantly confused and
disoriented. In the wake of surging tides
and currents they are tumbled over and
over and upside down. It is only by feeling Alone in the Crowd
the slight tug of gravity on the rock in their
head that they can recognize whether they
are upside down or right side up.
In His great love and wisdom, God
provided this mechanism to enable the
lowly shrimp to keep a dignified balance
amid the turbulent elements of its habitat.
Since it is obvious that no shrimp con-
fided these facts to me, you might wonder
how this amazing information came to
light. Several years ago a marine biolo-
gist conducted an experiment on several
shrimp that had been placed in a large
aquarium. In the bottom of the aquarium
the scientist placed steel filings instead of
sand. When molting time came, each one
of the shrimp picked up a piece of steel, in-
stead of a rock, and placed it in its head.
Then the biologist brought a power-
ful electromagnet and placed it over the
top of the aquarium. Immediately all the
shrimp flipped upside down and began
to swim around in an inverted position. Alone in the Crowd
The pull of the magnet on the steel sliv-
er was stronger than the tug of gravity,
and they believed that up was down and
down was up. To make the experiment
more dramatic the scientist then brought a
shrimp from the ocean and placed it in the
aquarium. Naturally this newcomer on the
scene was paddling around in the proper
upright position.
Can’t you imagine the consternation
that probably was provoked by the appear-
ance of this oddball in the tank? It seems
highly likely that some nasty whispers
began to circulate within those troubled
waters. “Who does this nut think he is?
Who is he trying to impress? Does this
weirdo imagine that he is going to show us
a better way to swim? Why is he doing it
upside down?”
You see, that steel-in-the-head, wrong-
way crowd had no inkling that the recent
visitor was really the only shrimp that was
swimming correctly. They had always Alone in the Crowd
depended on two things to prove they were
right-side up—their feeling, and what the
majority around them was doing. But now
that their status stone had been tampered
with, they were deceived into believing a
lie on both counts.
Following Feeling or
Following the Crowd
The more I thought of that story,
the more I realized that all of us are in an
aquarium as we make our way through
this world. Powerful magnets of tempta-
tion are all around us trying to disturb our
spiritual balance and turn us upside down.
Those who trust in feeling and majority
opinion are easily up-ended by the strong
attraction of outside forces. Consoled
by the presence of so many others about
them doing the same thing, they soon be-
gin to see everything in relation to their
distorted view. They reverse all the signs
in order to read them better, and develop Alone in the Crowd
a firm conviction that they are balanced
and correct, while everyone differing from
them is wrong. Eventually they see wrong
as right and right as wrong. Anyone who
goes contrary to his or her perceptions is
instantly branded as a fanatic or a critical
troublemaker.
This points up one great truth: We can-
not measure right and wrong by our feeling
or by what the majority are doing! We need
something from outside ourselves to tell
us where the truth lies. Our impulses may
be just as real as the pull of the magnet, but
they could also be just as misleading. Our
numerous friends may be most respect-
able and religious, but their status stone
could be linked to the same false guidance
system, cleverly sabotaged by the enemy.
There is only one true, infallible status
stone for the Christian, and that is the Bible.
When that Word is placed in the mind, it
provides a standard of truth which is al-
ways dependable. Every impulse of feeling Alone in the Crowd
should be tested by it. The total lifestyle,
including words, actions, and thoughts
must be brought under the supervision of
that one great directional control center. It
is no exaggeration to state that most de-
viations from God’s will today are based
upon either following feeling or following
the crowd.
How important it is for us to study
these two powerful weapons that Satan
utilized with such devilish expertise. Both
of them are rooted within man’s deepest
psychological needs. We often overlook
the fact that our spiritual enemy has been
studying human nature for almost 6,000
years—quite a bit longer than the most
successful psychiatrist in practice today.
He has also experimented with our emo-
tional weaknesses, using these to exploit
us in our most vulnerable moments.
How many have fallen prey to his ma-
nipulative devices? One clear look at our
flesh-oriented society provides the answer. Alone in the Crowd
Jesus saw it long before it happened and
tried to warn his disciples and us about the
strength of those attacks. He said, “Strait
is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth into life, and few there be that find
it” (Matthew 7:14).
On another occasion the Master asked
this significant question, “When the son
of man cometh, shall he find faith on the
earth?” (Luke 18:8). In the same discourse
He declared, “As it was in the days of Noe,
so shall it be also in the days of the Son of
man” (Luke 17:26).
Obviously only a small proportion of
earth’s inhabitants will escape from the
overwhelming deceptions of the last days
and be saved. A little remnant, as always,
will be more concerned about doing right
than pleasing self, the crowd, or some oth-
er individual. The record of history con-
sistently chronicles the story of that small
company of dissenters who dared to reject
the comfortable appeal of the crowd. The Alone in the Crowd
majority seem never to be searching for
truth so much as for a smooth, easy, con-
venient religion which will allow them to
live as they please. To them any doctrine
which demands self-denial or a disciplined
lifestyle is bad news.
I
s It Easy to Preach the Truth?
This is undoubtedly why there is such
a one-sided gospel being preached
in most churches today. It is pleasant to
speak things that are appreciated and well
received. No messenger of God is hesitant
to declare the precious truths about justi-
fication and free grace which require only
faith and acceptance. Yet there is another
side of the gospel which is concerned with
fruits and good works. It is called sanctifi-
cation. It speaks of obedience and Christ-
like behavior in every life situation. That is
the aspect of righteousness by faith which
is very unpopular with the masses today. It
demands action and obedience. 10 Alone in the Crowd
Are some preachers afraid to deliver
the unadorned truth on this subject for fear
of rejection and ridicule? Have they been
intimidated by seeing other faithful watch-
men attacked as legalistic and judgmental?
You may answer that question on the basis
of your own observations. The example of
the prophet Jonah provides dramatic evi-
dence that it is not easy to tell it like it is.
No one would welcome his assignment.
Is it any easier to stand before practic-
ing sinners of every hue and variety and
deliver the ultimatum of Jesus, “Go and sin
no more?” As an ambassador for God, I can
tell you that there is a terrible temptation
to feel sorry for those drug addicts, drunk-
ards and prostitutes, and to tone down the
requirements to give up the practice of
sin. We want to be easy on them. We don’t
want to discourage them with the thought
that they must change their lifestyle. At
least, not immediately. Somehow we want
to keep accommodating the carnal nature Alone in the Crowd 11
just a little bit to make religion more com-
fortable for them.
Question: Is there any true religion that
endorses the continued practice of sin in
any degree whatsoever? Is there any state-
ment in the entire Bible which conveys the
thought that we should only diminish the
amount of sin we commit? Can the justify-
ing, converting grace of Christ cover the
practice of any deliberate, known sin? Paul
declares, “For the flesh lusteth against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and
these are contrary the one to the other: so
that ye cannot do the things that ye would”
(Galatians 5:17).
If that statement is not strong enough
on the subject, read the further word of
the apostle in Romans 8:13, “If ye live after
the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the
spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye
shall live.” There it is! We can do one or the
other, but we cannot do both at the same
time. We either live after the flesh or after 12 Alone in the Crowd
the Spirit. Paul said, “These are contrary
the one to the other.” That is plain enough.
There can be no sharing of authority be-
tween these two forces. We must mortify
the deeds of the body or accommodate
them. Which will it be? It can’t be both.
But let’s return to our point about fol-
lowing the crowd. We have discovered that
the majority is usually wrong, and that they
do not want to be told about their sins. We
have also considered how difficult it is to
tell that crowd how wrong they are. Right
here it seems appropriate to read the words
of Jesus, “Ye are they which justify your-
selves before men; but God knoweth your
hearts: for that which is highly esteemed
among men is abomination in the sight of
God” (Luke 16:15).
Hazards of the “Highly Esteemed”
The last sentence contains a
priceless principle for all of us
today. Jesus spoke it to the Pharisees who Alone in the Crowd 13
were shamelessly justifying their unjust
ways because they conformed to the ac-
ceptable codes of the day. He clearly in-
dicated that the majority opinion would
be on the wrong side of almost every
question. He already had declared that
most people would enter the broad road
to destruction. Their views and prac-
tices would represent those who are
wrong—those who will be lost. Yet it
would be held by the largest number—in
contrast to the “few” in the narrow road.
The shocking thing is that those things
“highly esteemed” among the majority of
men are abominable in God’s sight.
It is not hard to see the truth of this state-
ment when we look at the principles upon
which society operates today. Whether we
are looking at dress, diet, entertainment,
or educational standards, there is a vast
difference between the world’s ways and
God’s ideals. Sometimes we chafe, like the
Israelites, because we cannot be like the 14 Alone in the Crowd
nations around us, but God has given us a
better, higher standard to live by.
Many have marveled at the almost as-
cetic doctrine of holiness by separation
which is expounded throughout the Bible.
Why did God forbid His ancient people to
mingle and intermarry with the heathen
nations? The New Testament writers also
make repeated calls for spiritual Israel to
“come out” and be separate from a system
which they called “the world.” Those called-
out ones are identified as “the church,”
which is always set in opposition to “the
world.” The original word for church comes
from two Greek words: ek, meaning “out
of,” and kalleo, meaning “called”—eklesia:
the church, the called-out ones.
Why does God not approve a close re-
lationship of His “few” followers with the
“many there be” in the broad road? And
why does the majority choose to be lost?
How does Satan draw them in such masses
to follow his program? The answers to those Alone in the Crowd 15
questions will also provide an explanation
for the insistent call of prophets and gospel
writers to separate from that majority.
Here is why so many have been cap-
tured by the evil one: his fraternization
scheme is based upon a recognized law of
the mind which decrees that we gradually
adapt to the people we associate with. The
unconscious effect of hearing and seeing
their words and lifestyle is to slowly build
toward an acceptance of what was once
repugnant. The molding influence of such
exposure breaks down the moral reserve,
and eventually leads to a conciliatory at-
titude toward sin.
The whole scheme is deadly because
the leavening process takes place so subtly.
At no point is the collaborator aware that he
is being imperceptibly manipulated by the
people around him. No danger signals are
raised. The conscience bends by degrees
toward the new tolerant mindset. This is
the way spiritual “status stones” have been 16 Alone in the Crowd
altered. The slow shift from Bible principle
to majority opinion is usually made with a
minimum of spiritual conflict because of
the gradual nature of the change.
Survey after survey has revealed how
moral standards have been lowered under
the deadening influence of environmen-
tal input. There is no way to be holy while
mingling closely with the unholy. We can-
not expose the mind constantly to abomi-
nations without suffering the consequenc-
es. The Spirit of God made no mistake in
urging separation from the world of the
flesh. Even prayer and Bible study cannot
continue to protect against a presumptuous
choice to watch alluring sinful scenes and
listen to corrupting words and sounds.
The Fallacy of Following Feeling
Surely we can now better under-
stand why the lesson of the shrimp
is important for us to understand. It is
never safe to follow the crowd. But now Alone in the Crowd 17
let’s look at the second dangerous conse-
quence of a faulty status stone. The shrimp
trusted in feelings which were produced
by powerful outside forces working on the
status stone. Obviously these feelings were
inaccurate and undependable because the
stone in its head had been changed.
Mark it down well: it is no safer to fol-
low feeling than it is to follow the crowd.
No matter how secure the shrimp felt about
the tug of that magnet, it led him to act
wrongly and make a fool of himself. Satan
would be delighted to lead every one of us
into doing the same thing. He has already
done it to the majority by causing them
to trust some other “stone of standing”
than the Word of God. Using the power-
ful magnet of a glamorous, glittering soci-
ety, Satan has created some very pleasur-
able but deceptive feelings. Millions have
been lured into a state of false security in
which they feel ridiculously overconfident
and safe. It is almost as though they have 18 Alone in the Crowd
been hypnotized and are obeying the will
of some other mind than their own.
Does most of the world actually oper-
ate under a trance condition brought on by
Satan’s hypnotic powers? None can doubt
the ability of mind scientists to produce
such a state in almost anyone who will look
at them or listen to them. There is always
some point of contact used in putting a
subject under hypnosis. Attention must be
focused upon a light or some other object
as well as the words which are being spo-
ken. Without this deliberate attentiveness
no one can be brought under the power of
the hypnotist.
Does Satan have to get a similar atten-
tion in order to bring anyone under his
control? He also uses a point of contact,
usually an indulged weakness, an appeal
of the flesh, or some other area of tempta-
tion. Our only safety is to never allow our-
selves to watch or listen to his appealing
attention devices. Alone in the Crowd 19
When feelings become the criteria of
testing truth, an unreasonably defensive at-
titude is generated. The most sincere people
are convinced beyond all question that they
are right and everyone else is totally wrong.
In the secure comfort of their subjective
feeling they resist all logic or reason based
on objective truth outside themselves.
Can such feeling or moods be danger-
ous for a Christian? Indeed, Satan uses
them to destroy the ability to act rational-
ly. Suppose you are seated in a small room
with no ventilation. An oil-burning stove
has been consuming the oxygen for some
time. Gradually you become so drowsy
that your brain is barely able to think. You
do not feel like moving from your chair.
Especially, you do not feel like getting up
to open a window or a door. Yet your feel-
ing against moving is a danger sign that
you must make yourself act immediately
to get more oxygen into the room or you
will never move again. 20 Alone in the Crowd
Have you ever been in the mood not to
pray, or not to read your Bible? Of course
you have. So have I. Should we yield to that
feeling? Listen, prayer is the breath of the
soul just as oxygen is the breath of the body.
Our mood not to pray and study is a sig-
nal that we had better make ourselves do
it quickly because our spiritual life is being
threatened. That is the time to force our-
selves into the closet, onto our knees, and
as we pray, the spiritual desires begin to re-
turn. Very soon prayer is restored as a joy-
ful, fulfilling privilege. But unless we break
the hypnotic spell of Satan’s “feeling” trap
by acting against his point of contact, we are
placed in great spiritual jeopardy. The truth
is that we must act or be acted upon.
Acting or Reacting
This brings us to the fantastic real-
ization that every single one of us
is either living a life based upon acting or
reacting. We make our own independent Alone in the Crowd 21
decisions about the kind of life we will live
or else we simply react to the way other
people treat us. In the latter case we turn
the direction of our life over to someone
else and allow them to determine the kind
of person we shall be.
Please take note that we are still talk-
ing about Satan’s manipulation of our feel-
ings, but in this case he is working through
some other person to exercise his control.
It is likely that no one is beyond being in-
fluenced to some degree by the actions
of others, but the vast majority are actu-
ally the pawns of whatever circumstances
happen to develop around them. Instead
of basing their most important decisions
upon deliberative reason or prayer, they
impulsively strike out in any or all direc-
tions, depending on the way their emo-
tions have been stirred by others.
Dr. Hunter was an English heart sur-
geon who was himself afflicted with cor-
onary disease. One day he commented 22 Alone in the Crowd
to a colleague, “My life is in the hands of
any rascal who chooses to annoy me.” His
self-prophecy proved to be true. Later on
someone dealt with him in a manner that
made him furious, and he dropped dead
of a heart attack. What an illustration that
education and high intelligence cannot
protect us from the folly of our fallen hu-
man nature! All his honorable degrees of
learning did not give Dr. Hunter control
of his own spirit. He literally allowed an-
other individual to make the decision as to
whether he would live or die.
But the doctor’s mistake is minuscule
compared to that of those who let others
actually determine their eternal destiny. All
around us every day we observe the dread-
ful playing out of an unnecessary drama,
and often church members are involved in
it. People permit their volatile emotions to
surge out of control in retaliation for the way
they are treated, and some of the darkest
sins are recorded against them in the books Alone in the Crowd 23
of heaven. Many will lose their souls because
they refuse to assume the responsibility for
their own course of action. In fact, they
don’t act at all; they merely react. We can
say without reservation that those who do
not lay hold of divine power to live a disci-
plined, controlled life will be ruled by Satan,
either directly or indirectly. Not one person
has that kind of strength within himself. The
ability to control one’s own life by resisting
every provocation of both friends and en-
emies must come from God’s grace within.
The real secret of protection from re-
acting is found in Paul’s counsel to the
Philippians, “Let this mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).
No one can strike back if he is thinking
thoughts of Jesus. On the cross Christ gave
no sign of vengeance, irritation, or retalia-
tion. His prayer was, “Father, forgive them,
for they know not what they do.”
Is that state of mind accessible to men
in the flesh? Indeed, Jesus possessed the 24 Alone in the Crowd
same fallen human nature that all children
inherit from their parents. Yet He never
reacted to a single needling rebuff or in-
sult. The kind of serenity that He exhib-
ited is promised to every believing child
of God who will claim it in faith. Paul
declared in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “Casting
down imaginations, and every high thing
that exalteth itself against the knowledge
of God, and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ.” Let
no one believe that this kind of integra-
tion with the thoughts and mind of Christ
can come without both struggle and sur-
render. The character is conformed to the
divine pattern by two things operating in
conjunction with the Holy Spirit—man’s
will and man’s actions. God will never
do these two things for us. Each person
must make the decision to turn from sin,
and then he must begin to act against the
sin. Neither of these steps would be ef-
fective were they not accompanied by the Alone in the Crowd 25
enabling power of the Spirit. No man has
the power to stop reacting in anger to the
way he is treated, but he does have the
power to choose to stop reacting. He also
has the ability to start resisting the impulse
to react. Do those two steps bring the vic-
tory? Indeed, when taken after claiming
the promised deliverance, they provide
dramatic evidence of true faith. And faith,
in turn, moves the omnipotent arm of God
to intervene with shattering force against
the practice of any sin.
Dealing with Offenses
Along with faith it is also very
important to develop a philoso-
phy of understanding toward those who
may seem to be giving offense. Much of
the problem stems from an unwillingness
or inability to consider why that person is
acting in such a manner.
It is a demonstrated fact that our own
attitude toward the offender determines 26 Alone in the Crowd
to a large degree how we react to what
he does against us. Unfortunately there
is very little inclination to be thoughtful
and reasonable when one is under physi-
cal or verbal attack. Impulsive anger takes
control, and we strike out blindly in self-
protection. Were we capable of keeping on
top of those oversensitive feelings it would
give us time to ask and answer a few ques-
tions about the other person’s motives.
Even a few moments of rational thought
could suggest the possibility that the of-
fender might be operating under false in-
formation and be very sincere in what he
is doing. This could certainly ameliorate
our own reactions toward him.
Years ago I heard a story which has
been such an inspiration to me that I have
shared it often throughout my ministry.
Many times I have needed to tell myself the
story again to help ease through some es-
pecially difficult time of personal stress. It
concerns an old Greek philosopher by the Alone in the Crowd 27
name of Philip who was walking along the
street with a friend one day. It so happened
that an enemy of Philip was watching him
approach from an overhead window. As
the two passed by he threw a bucket of
water onto the wise old man. Without the
slightest reaction to the outrage, Philip
continued his conversation as though
nothing at all had happened. His friend
stopped and offered to help him find and
punish the man who had treated him so
rudely. Philip quietly replied that no one
had done him any wrong. The friend re-
monstrated in amazement, “But the man
threw water all over you. You are soaking
wet.” “No,” replied the philosopher, “you
are mistaken. He did not throw any water
on me. He threw it on the man he thought
I was.”
What an attitude! And what a world of
difference it would make if everyone had
such a spirit of selfless regard for the feelings
of others. Most of the personal alienations, 28 Alone in the Crowd
racial problems, and international disputes
could be settled in a moment if everyone
practiced the philosophy of Philip.
Some time ago I was preparing a young
mother for baptism. As I visited her for a
final review of the doctrines of the church,
she suddenly burst into tears. “I can’t be
baptized,” she cried. “Last night my moth-
er visited me and reminded me that since
I hate my brother it would not be right
to enter into baptism.” Under my gentle
prodding, Carol agreed to share for the
very first time why she had hated her only
brother for all those years. Not even her
mother knew the reasons behind that bit-
ter spirit. When she was seven years old her
teenage brother began to force her sexually
and threaten her if she ever told anyone.
For eight years she suffered unimaginable
abuse at the hands of that cruel brother.
I could truly understand Carol’s fester-
ing anger and hatred toward her brother.
I was overwhelmed by her justified sense Alone in the Crowd 29
of being dehumanized and demeaned.
How could I say anything that could pos-
sible change her feelings over those deep
psychological pains and scars? Then I re-
membered the story of the old Greek phi-
losopher. After sharing it with her, I asked
for more information about that despised
brother. Was he ever a Christian? “No,” said
Carol, “he was the opposite of a Christian.
He seemed always to be under the control
of devils, and he’s still the same way.”
I said, “Carol, isn’t it a tragedy that your
brother never knew the power of God’s
grace in his life? He was indeed controlled
by Satan in all he was doing. Without God
in his life there was no chance for him to
resist the things Satan was doing through
him. He was manipulated and used by the
devil. If only he had known the Lord Jesus,
he would never have been that way. He
would have treated you with love and re-
spect. Now you tell me that he is still not a
Christian. He is still being forced to do evil 30 Alone in the Crowd
things and has no power to resist. What a
difference it would make if he could learn
about Jesus and accept Him. He would have
the same joy you have found in Christ. We
need to pray for him, Carol, that somehow
he can get out from under this evil power
that has been using him.”
As I talked the tears began to flow
again, but this time they were tears of sor-
row and compassion for a lost brother who
was more to be pitied and prayed for than
to be hated. Carol ended up on her knees
that day, asking God to save her brother
from his miserable captivity to Satan’s pow-
er. Her own personal hatred was washed
away in those tears, and the next day I had
the joy of seeing the old Carol buried in
the watery grave. Her life was transformed
when she began to realize that her brother
did not even know her—not really. If he
had been sensitive to her as a person, he
would not have treated her that way. His
understanding was distorted by sin. Alone in the Crowd 31
Can we believe the same thing about
people who mistreat us along the road of
life? Would they act the same way if they
fully understood what they were doing?
Can’t we assume that they don’t really have
the full information about us, about our
feelings, and who we really are? If only we
could give them the benefit of that doubt
and say, “They didn’t do it to the real me.
They did it to the person they thought I
was.” Then we can feel sorry for them, be-
cause they don’t know any better. And best
of all we can even begin to pray for them.
So we are brought back again to the
two great lessons taught by the shrimp
who have rocks in their heads. We cannot
measure what is right and wrong by our
subjective feelings or by what the majority
are doing. Our stone of standing must be
the Word of God. Regardless of the crowd,
regardless of our moods or feelings, re-
gardless of the way people treat us, we
must choose to order our lives on the 32 Alone in the Crowd
basis of divine principle. Like Paul we say,
“I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I
live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And
the life I now live, I live by the faith of him
who loved me, and gave himself for me”
(Galatians 2:20).
A Little Light Reading.
Alone in the crowd.
Joe Crews.
Recently I discovered some very
interesting things about a little
sea creature that rates rather low
on the biblical scale. The unclean shrimp
has a most marvelous manner of changing
clothes six or eight times a year through
a process called molting. Apparently a Alone in the Crowd
new suit begins to grow underneath the
old skin. By scraping around on the rocks,
the shrimp begins to shred and loosen the
older outer layer, which soon sloughs off
completely, revealing the classy new cov-
ering underneath.
At the time of each molting, another
fascinating phenomenon occurs. In re-
sponse to some built-in primitive instinct
every shrimp deliberately places a grain of
sand in a special place in its head. At every
molting cycle the little rock is discarded
along with the old skin, and a new grain of
sand is put carefully in place.
Because of the unique function of
those rocks, they have been named “status
stones” or stones of standing. They are ab-
solutely necessary for the survival of these
hardy marine animals. Without them the
shrimp would be constantly confused and
disoriented. In the wake of surging tides
and currents they are tumbled over and
over and upside down. It is only by feeling Alone in the Crowd
the slight tug of gravity on the rock in their
head that they can recognize whether they
are upside down or right side up.
In His great love and wisdom, God
provided this mechanism to enable the
lowly shrimp to keep a dignified balance
amid the turbulent elements of its habitat.
Since it is obvious that no shrimp con-
fided these facts to me, you might wonder
how this amazing information came to
light. Several years ago a marine biolo-
gist conducted an experiment on several
shrimp that had been placed in a large
aquarium. In the bottom of the aquarium
the scientist placed steel filings instead of
sand. When molting time came, each one
of the shrimp picked up a piece of steel, in-
stead of a rock, and placed it in its head.
Then the biologist brought a power-
ful electromagnet and placed it over the
top of the aquarium. Immediately all the
shrimp flipped upside down and began
to swim around in an inverted position. Alone in the Crowd
The pull of the magnet on the steel sliv-
er was stronger than the tug of gravity,
and they believed that up was down and
down was up. To make the experiment
more dramatic the scientist then brought a
shrimp from the ocean and placed it in the
aquarium. Naturally this newcomer on the
scene was paddling around in the proper
upright position.
Can’t you imagine the consternation
that probably was provoked by the appear-
ance of this oddball in the tank? It seems
highly likely that some nasty whispers
began to circulate within those troubled
waters. “Who does this nut think he is?
Who is he trying to impress? Does this
weirdo imagine that he is going to show us
a better way to swim? Why is he doing it
upside down?”
You see, that steel-in-the-head, wrong-
way crowd had no inkling that the recent
visitor was really the only shrimp that was
swimming correctly. They had always Alone in the Crowd
depended on two things to prove they were
right-side up—their feeling, and what the
majority around them was doing. But now
that their status stone had been tampered
with, they were deceived into believing a
lie on both counts.
Following Feeling or
Following the Crowd
The more I thought of that story,
the more I realized that all of us are in an
aquarium as we make our way through
this world. Powerful magnets of tempta-
tion are all around us trying to disturb our
spiritual balance and turn us upside down.
Those who trust in feeling and majority
opinion are easily up-ended by the strong
attraction of outside forces. Consoled
by the presence of so many others about
them doing the same thing, they soon be-
gin to see everything in relation to their
distorted view. They reverse all the signs
in order to read them better, and develop Alone in the Crowd
a firm conviction that they are balanced
and correct, while everyone differing from
them is wrong. Eventually they see wrong
as right and right as wrong. Anyone who
goes contrary to his or her perceptions is
instantly branded as a fanatic or a critical
troublemaker.
This points up one great truth: We can-
not measure right and wrong by our feeling
or by what the majority are doing! We need
something from outside ourselves to tell
us where the truth lies. Our impulses may
be just as real as the pull of the magnet, but
they could also be just as misleading. Our
numerous friends may be most respect-
able and religious, but their status stone
could be linked to the same false guidance
system, cleverly sabotaged by the enemy.
There is only one true, infallible status
stone for the Christian, and that is the Bible.
When that Word is placed in the mind, it
provides a standard of truth which is al-
ways dependable. Every impulse of feeling Alone in the Crowd
should be tested by it. The total lifestyle,
including words, actions, and thoughts
must be brought under the supervision of
that one great directional control center. It
is no exaggeration to state that most de-
viations from God’s will today are based
upon either following feeling or following
the crowd.
How important it is for us to study
these two powerful weapons that Satan
utilized with such devilish expertise. Both
of them are rooted within man’s deepest
psychological needs. We often overlook
the fact that our spiritual enemy has been
studying human nature for almost 6,000
years—quite a bit longer than the most
successful psychiatrist in practice today.
He has also experimented with our emo-
tional weaknesses, using these to exploit
us in our most vulnerable moments.
How many have fallen prey to his ma-
nipulative devices? One clear look at our
flesh-oriented society provides the answer. Alone in the Crowd
Jesus saw it long before it happened and
tried to warn his disciples and us about the
strength of those attacks. He said, “Strait
is the gate, and narrow is the way, which
leadeth into life, and few there be that find
it” (Matthew 7:14).
On another occasion the Master asked
this significant question, “When the son
of man cometh, shall he find faith on the
earth?” (Luke 18:8). In the same discourse
He declared, “As it was in the days of Noe,
so shall it be also in the days of the Son of
man” (Luke 17:26).
Obviously only a small proportion of
earth’s inhabitants will escape from the
overwhelming deceptions of the last days
and be saved. A little remnant, as always,
will be more concerned about doing right
than pleasing self, the crowd, or some oth-
er individual. The record of history con-
sistently chronicles the story of that small
company of dissenters who dared to reject
the comfortable appeal of the crowd. The Alone in the Crowd
majority seem never to be searching for
truth so much as for a smooth, easy, con-
venient religion which will allow them to
live as they please. To them any doctrine
which demands self-denial or a disciplined
lifestyle is bad news.
I
s It Easy to Preach the Truth?
This is undoubtedly why there is such
a one-sided gospel being preached
in most churches today. It is pleasant to
speak things that are appreciated and well
received. No messenger of God is hesitant
to declare the precious truths about justi-
fication and free grace which require only
faith and acceptance. Yet there is another
side of the gospel which is concerned with
fruits and good works. It is called sanctifi-
cation. It speaks of obedience and Christ-
like behavior in every life situation. That is
the aspect of righteousness by faith which
is very unpopular with the masses today. It
demands action and obedience. 10 Alone in the Crowd
Are some preachers afraid to deliver
the unadorned truth on this subject for fear
of rejection and ridicule? Have they been
intimidated by seeing other faithful watch-
men attacked as legalistic and judgmental?
You may answer that question on the basis
of your own observations. The example of
the prophet Jonah provides dramatic evi-
dence that it is not easy to tell it like it is.
No one would welcome his assignment.
Is it any easier to stand before practic-
ing sinners of every hue and variety and
deliver the ultimatum of Jesus, “Go and sin
no more?” As an ambassador for God, I can
tell you that there is a terrible temptation
to feel sorry for those drug addicts, drunk-
ards and prostitutes, and to tone down the
requirements to give up the practice of
sin. We want to be easy on them. We don’t
want to discourage them with the thought
that they must change their lifestyle. At
least, not immediately. Somehow we want
to keep accommodating the carnal nature Alone in the Crowd 11
just a little bit to make religion more com-
fortable for them.
Question: Is there any true religion that
endorses the continued practice of sin in
any degree whatsoever? Is there any state-
ment in the entire Bible which conveys the
thought that we should only diminish the
amount of sin we commit? Can the justify-
ing, converting grace of Christ cover the
practice of any deliberate, known sin? Paul
declares, “For the flesh lusteth against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and
these are contrary the one to the other: so
that ye cannot do the things that ye would”
(Galatians 5:17).
If that statement is not strong enough
on the subject, read the further word of
the apostle in Romans 8:13, “If ye live after
the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the
spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye
shall live.” There it is! We can do one or the
other, but we cannot do both at the same
time. We either live after the flesh or after 12 Alone in the Crowd
the Spirit. Paul said, “These are contrary
the one to the other.” That is plain enough.
There can be no sharing of authority be-
tween these two forces. We must mortify
the deeds of the body or accommodate
them. Which will it be? It can’t be both.
But let’s return to our point about fol-
lowing the crowd. We have discovered that
the majority is usually wrong, and that they
do not want to be told about their sins. We
have also considered how difficult it is to
tell that crowd how wrong they are. Right
here it seems appropriate to read the words
of Jesus, “Ye are they which justify your-
selves before men; but God knoweth your
hearts: for that which is highly esteemed
among men is abomination in the sight of
God” (Luke 16:15).
Hazards of the “Highly Esteemed”
The last sentence contains a
priceless principle for all of us
today. Jesus spoke it to the Pharisees who Alone in the Crowd 13
were shamelessly justifying their unjust
ways because they conformed to the ac-
ceptable codes of the day. He clearly in-
dicated that the majority opinion would
be on the wrong side of almost every
question. He already had declared that
most people would enter the broad road
to destruction. Their views and prac-
tices would represent those who are
wrong—those who will be lost. Yet it
would be held by the largest number—in
contrast to the “few” in the narrow road.
The shocking thing is that those things
“highly esteemed” among the majority of
men are abominable in God’s sight.
It is not hard to see the truth of this state-
ment when we look at the principles upon
which society operates today. Whether we
are looking at dress, diet, entertainment,
or educational standards, there is a vast
difference between the world’s ways and
God’s ideals. Sometimes we chafe, like the
Israelites, because we cannot be like the 14 Alone in the Crowd
nations around us, but God has given us a
better, higher standard to live by.
Many have marveled at the almost as-
cetic doctrine of holiness by separation
which is expounded throughout the Bible.
Why did God forbid His ancient people to
mingle and intermarry with the heathen
nations? The New Testament writers also
make repeated calls for spiritual Israel to
“come out” and be separate from a system
which they called “the world.” Those called-
out ones are identified as “the church,”
which is always set in opposition to “the
world.” The original word for church comes
from two Greek words: ek, meaning “out
of,” and kalleo, meaning “called”—eklesia:
the church, the called-out ones.
Why does God not approve a close re-
lationship of His “few” followers with the
“many there be” in the broad road? And
why does the majority choose to be lost?
How does Satan draw them in such masses
to follow his program? The answers to those Alone in the Crowd 15
questions will also provide an explanation
for the insistent call of prophets and gospel
writers to separate from that majority.
Here is why so many have been cap-
tured by the evil one: his fraternization
scheme is based upon a recognized law of
the mind which decrees that we gradually
adapt to the people we associate with. The
unconscious effect of hearing and seeing
their words and lifestyle is to slowly build
toward an acceptance of what was once
repugnant. The molding influence of such
exposure breaks down the moral reserve,
and eventually leads to a conciliatory at-
titude toward sin.
The whole scheme is deadly because
the leavening process takes place so subtly.
At no point is the collaborator aware that he
is being imperceptibly manipulated by the
people around him. No danger signals are
raised. The conscience bends by degrees
toward the new tolerant mindset. This is
the way spiritual “status stones” have been 16 Alone in the Crowd
altered. The slow shift from Bible principle
to majority opinion is usually made with a
minimum of spiritual conflict because of
the gradual nature of the change.
Survey after survey has revealed how
moral standards have been lowered under
the deadening influence of environmen-
tal input. There is no way to be holy while
mingling closely with the unholy. We can-
not expose the mind constantly to abomi-
nations without suffering the consequenc-
es. The Spirit of God made no mistake in
urging separation from the world of the
flesh. Even prayer and Bible study cannot
continue to protect against a presumptuous
choice to watch alluring sinful scenes and
listen to corrupting words and sounds.
The Fallacy of Following Feeling
Surely we can now better under-
stand why the lesson of the shrimp
is important for us to understand. It is
never safe to follow the crowd. But now Alone in the Crowd 17
let’s look at the second dangerous conse-
quence of a faulty status stone. The shrimp
trusted in feelings which were produced
by powerful outside forces working on the
status stone. Obviously these feelings were
inaccurate and undependable because the
stone in its head had been changed.
Mark it down well: it is no safer to fol-
low feeling than it is to follow the crowd.
No matter how secure the shrimp felt about
the tug of that magnet, it led him to act
wrongly and make a fool of himself. Satan
would be delighted to lead every one of us
into doing the same thing. He has already
done it to the majority by causing them
to trust some other “stone of standing”
than the Word of God. Using the power-
ful magnet of a glamorous, glittering soci-
ety, Satan has created some very pleasur-
able but deceptive feelings. Millions have
been lured into a state of false security in
which they feel ridiculously overconfident
and safe. It is almost as though they have 18 Alone in the Crowd
been hypnotized and are obeying the will
of some other mind than their own.
Does most of the world actually oper-
ate under a trance condition brought on by
Satan’s hypnotic powers? None can doubt
the ability of mind scientists to produce
such a state in almost anyone who will look
at them or listen to them. There is always
some point of contact used in putting a
subject under hypnosis. Attention must be
focused upon a light or some other object
as well as the words which are being spo-
ken. Without this deliberate attentiveness
no one can be brought under the power of
the hypnotist.
Does Satan have to get a similar atten-
tion in order to bring anyone under his
control? He also uses a point of contact,
usually an indulged weakness, an appeal
of the flesh, or some other area of tempta-
tion. Our only safety is to never allow our-
selves to watch or listen to his appealing
attention devices. Alone in the Crowd 19
When feelings become the criteria of
testing truth, an unreasonably defensive at-
titude is generated. The most sincere people
are convinced beyond all question that they
are right and everyone else is totally wrong.
In the secure comfort of their subjective
feeling they resist all logic or reason based
on objective truth outside themselves.
Can such feeling or moods be danger-
ous for a Christian? Indeed, Satan uses
them to destroy the ability to act rational-
ly. Suppose you are seated in a small room
with no ventilation. An oil-burning stove
has been consuming the oxygen for some
time. Gradually you become so drowsy
that your brain is barely able to think. You
do not feel like moving from your chair.
Especially, you do not feel like getting up
to open a window or a door. Yet your feel-
ing against moving is a danger sign that
you must make yourself act immediately
to get more oxygen into the room or you
will never move again. 20 Alone in the Crowd
Have you ever been in the mood not to
pray, or not to read your Bible? Of course
you have. So have I. Should we yield to that
feeling? Listen, prayer is the breath of the
soul just as oxygen is the breath of the body.
Our mood not to pray and study is a sig-
nal that we had better make ourselves do
it quickly because our spiritual life is being
threatened. That is the time to force our-
selves into the closet, onto our knees, and
as we pray, the spiritual desires begin to re-
turn. Very soon prayer is restored as a joy-
ful, fulfilling privilege. But unless we break
the hypnotic spell of Satan’s “feeling” trap
by acting against his point of contact, we are
placed in great spiritual jeopardy. The truth
is that we must act or be acted upon.
Acting or Reacting
This brings us to the fantastic real-
ization that every single one of us
is either living a life based upon acting or
reacting. We make our own independent Alone in the Crowd 21
decisions about the kind of life we will live
or else we simply react to the way other
people treat us. In the latter case we turn
the direction of our life over to someone
else and allow them to determine the kind
of person we shall be.
Please take note that we are still talk-
ing about Satan’s manipulation of our feel-
ings, but in this case he is working through
some other person to exercise his control.
It is likely that no one is beyond being in-
fluenced to some degree by the actions
of others, but the vast majority are actu-
ally the pawns of whatever circumstances
happen to develop around them. Instead
of basing their most important decisions
upon deliberative reason or prayer, they
impulsively strike out in any or all direc-
tions, depending on the way their emo-
tions have been stirred by others.
Dr. Hunter was an English heart sur-
geon who was himself afflicted with cor-
onary disease. One day he commented 22 Alone in the Crowd
to a colleague, “My life is in the hands of
any rascal who chooses to annoy me.” His
self-prophecy proved to be true. Later on
someone dealt with him in a manner that
made him furious, and he dropped dead
of a heart attack. What an illustration that
education and high intelligence cannot
protect us from the folly of our fallen hu-
man nature! All his honorable degrees of
learning did not give Dr. Hunter control
of his own spirit. He literally allowed an-
other individual to make the decision as to
whether he would live or die.
But the doctor’s mistake is minuscule
compared to that of those who let others
actually determine their eternal destiny. All
around us every day we observe the dread-
ful playing out of an unnecessary drama,
and often church members are involved in
it. People permit their volatile emotions to
surge out of control in retaliation for the way
they are treated, and some of the darkest
sins are recorded against them in the books Alone in the Crowd 23
of heaven. Many will lose their souls because
they refuse to assume the responsibility for
their own course of action. In fact, they
don’t act at all; they merely react. We can
say without reservation that those who do
not lay hold of divine power to live a disci-
plined, controlled life will be ruled by Satan,
either directly or indirectly. Not one person
has that kind of strength within himself. The
ability to control one’s own life by resisting
every provocation of both friends and en-
emies must come from God’s grace within.
The real secret of protection from re-
acting is found in Paul’s counsel to the
Philippians, “Let this mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).
No one can strike back if he is thinking
thoughts of Jesus. On the cross Christ gave
no sign of vengeance, irritation, or retalia-
tion. His prayer was, “Father, forgive them,
for they know not what they do.”
Is that state of mind accessible to men
in the flesh? Indeed, Jesus possessed the 24 Alone in the Crowd
same fallen human nature that all children
inherit from their parents. Yet He never
reacted to a single needling rebuff or in-
sult. The kind of serenity that He exhib-
ited is promised to every believing child
of God who will claim it in faith. Paul
declared in 2 Corinthians 10:5, “Casting
down imaginations, and every high thing
that exalteth itself against the knowledge
of God, and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ.” Let
no one believe that this kind of integra-
tion with the thoughts and mind of Christ
can come without both struggle and sur-
render. The character is conformed to the
divine pattern by two things operating in
conjunction with the Holy Spirit—man’s
will and man’s actions. God will never
do these two things for us. Each person
must make the decision to turn from sin,
and then he must begin to act against the
sin. Neither of these steps would be ef-
fective were they not accompanied by the Alone in the Crowd 25
enabling power of the Spirit. No man has
the power to stop reacting in anger to the
way he is treated, but he does have the
power to choose to stop reacting. He also
has the ability to start resisting the impulse
to react. Do those two steps bring the vic-
tory? Indeed, when taken after claiming
the promised deliverance, they provide
dramatic evidence of true faith. And faith,
in turn, moves the omnipotent arm of God
to intervene with shattering force against
the practice of any sin.
Dealing with Offenses
Along with faith it is also very
important to develop a philoso-
phy of understanding toward those who
may seem to be giving offense. Much of
the problem stems from an unwillingness
or inability to consider why that person is
acting in such a manner.
It is a demonstrated fact that our own
attitude toward the offender determines 26 Alone in the Crowd
to a large degree how we react to what
he does against us. Unfortunately there
is very little inclination to be thoughtful
and reasonable when one is under physi-
cal or verbal attack. Impulsive anger takes
control, and we strike out blindly in self-
protection. Were we capable of keeping on
top of those oversensitive feelings it would
give us time to ask and answer a few ques-
tions about the other person’s motives.
Even a few moments of rational thought
could suggest the possibility that the of-
fender might be operating under false in-
formation and be very sincere in what he
is doing. This could certainly ameliorate
our own reactions toward him.
Years ago I heard a story which has
been such an inspiration to me that I have
shared it often throughout my ministry.
Many times I have needed to tell myself the
story again to help ease through some es-
pecially difficult time of personal stress. It
concerns an old Greek philosopher by the Alone in the Crowd 27
name of Philip who was walking along the
street with a friend one day. It so happened
that an enemy of Philip was watching him
approach from an overhead window. As
the two passed by he threw a bucket of
water onto the wise old man. Without the
slightest reaction to the outrage, Philip
continued his conversation as though
nothing at all had happened. His friend
stopped and offered to help him find and
punish the man who had treated him so
rudely. Philip quietly replied that no one
had done him any wrong. The friend re-
monstrated in amazement, “But the man
threw water all over you. You are soaking
wet.” “No,” replied the philosopher, “you
are mistaken. He did not throw any water
on me. He threw it on the man he thought
I was.”
What an attitude! And what a world of
difference it would make if everyone had
such a spirit of selfless regard for the feelings
of others. Most of the personal alienations, 28 Alone in the Crowd
racial problems, and international disputes
could be settled in a moment if everyone
practiced the philosophy of Philip.
Some time ago I was preparing a young
mother for baptism. As I visited her for a
final review of the doctrines of the church,
she suddenly burst into tears. “I can’t be
baptized,” she cried. “Last night my moth-
er visited me and reminded me that since
I hate my brother it would not be right
to enter into baptism.” Under my gentle
prodding, Carol agreed to share for the
very first time why she had hated her only
brother for all those years. Not even her
mother knew the reasons behind that bit-
ter spirit. When she was seven years old her
teenage brother began to force her sexually
and threaten her if she ever told anyone.
For eight years she suffered unimaginable
abuse at the hands of that cruel brother.
I could truly understand Carol’s fester-
ing anger and hatred toward her brother.
I was overwhelmed by her justified sense Alone in the Crowd 29
of being dehumanized and demeaned.
How could I say anything that could pos-
sible change her feelings over those deep
psychological pains and scars? Then I re-
membered the story of the old Greek phi-
losopher. After sharing it with her, I asked
for more information about that despised
brother. Was he ever a Christian? “No,” said
Carol, “he was the opposite of a Christian.
He seemed always to be under the control
of devils, and he’s still the same way.”
I said, “Carol, isn’t it a tragedy that your
brother never knew the power of God’s
grace in his life? He was indeed controlled
by Satan in all he was doing. Without God
in his life there was no chance for him to
resist the things Satan was doing through
him. He was manipulated and used by the
devil. If only he had known the Lord Jesus,
he would never have been that way. He
would have treated you with love and re-
spect. Now you tell me that he is still not a
Christian. He is still being forced to do evil 30 Alone in the Crowd
things and has no power to resist. What a
difference it would make if he could learn
about Jesus and accept Him. He would have
the same joy you have found in Christ. We
need to pray for him, Carol, that somehow
he can get out from under this evil power
that has been using him.”
As I talked the tears began to flow
again, but this time they were tears of sor-
row and compassion for a lost brother who
was more to be pitied and prayed for than
to be hated. Carol ended up on her knees
that day, asking God to save her brother
from his miserable captivity to Satan’s pow-
er. Her own personal hatred was washed
away in those tears, and the next day I had
the joy of seeing the old Carol buried in
the watery grave. Her life was transformed
when she began to realize that her brother
did not even know her—not really. If he
had been sensitive to her as a person, he
would not have treated her that way. His
understanding was distorted by sin. Alone in the Crowd 31
Can we believe the same thing about
people who mistreat us along the road of
life? Would they act the same way if they
fully understood what they were doing?
Can’t we assume that they don’t really have
the full information about us, about our
feelings, and who we really are? If only we
could give them the benefit of that doubt
and say, “They didn’t do it to the real me.
They did it to the person they thought I
was.” Then we can feel sorry for them, be-
cause they don’t know any better. And best
of all we can even begin to pray for them.
So we are brought back again to the
two great lessons taught by the shrimp
who have rocks in their heads. We cannot
measure what is right and wrong by our
subjective feelings or by what the majority
are doing. Our stone of standing must be
the Word of God. Regardless of the crowd,
regardless of our moods or feelings, re-
gardless of the way people treat us, we
must choose to order our lives on the 32 Alone in the Crowd
basis of divine principle. Like Paul we say,
“I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I
live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And
the life I now live, I live by the faith of him
who loved me, and gave himself for me”
(Galatians 2:20).
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