Hebrews 10:24–25 reads:
“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
My Bible reading takes me into Hebrews this week, and I think this passage is important on a number of levels. The lesson I usually hear preached is the need for Christians to gather at church on Sunday — and that’s true. But I see something else in these words: community building, which isn’t a once-a-week event but an all-day, every-day effort.
Though the woke hysteria has died down in many areas, I think many Christians are still living isolated lives. Looking back on some of the worst places I’ve lived, I really most all my neighbors were agnostic or pagan. A few might have been nominal Christians — people still living worldly lives, but attending church on Sunday because it made them feel good. Now I live in an area where I regularly see other Christians — some from my own church, and some from other churches, but most show Christian fruit in their daily lives. This new reality stands in stark contrast to my previous ways of life.
I attend Church on Sunday with hundreds of Christians that are all hearing the same challenging messages. I bump into Christian acquaintances in the local coffee shop, and can talk about encouraging things. I know a number of Christian men on the local security team. We often have sabbath that start with Christian hymns and prayer before meals. I have an elder that checks in with me to make sure I’m doing well. For me, this is “provoking until love and to good works” in overdrive.
It wasn’t always this way for me. About fifteen years ago, my wife and I began thinking seriously about where we wanted to spend the rest of our lives. We approached the decision with a lot of thought and prayer. I knew the Northwest United States was considered a “redoubt” by some — a term originally meaning a fortified stronghold, now used to describe a region where like-minded people deliberately settle together for mutual support and self-sufficiency. This idea, often called the American Redoubt movement, has drawn people to Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, and much of Montana, so we focused our search there. The Lord protected us, but looking back, my mistake was not specifically seeking out the strongest Christian communities. I should have looked specifically for a place Christians were intentionally moving to, one with a church or pastor that was encouraging this type of project. Even so, the Lord was gracious and placed us just outside Moscow, Idaho — an area that has since become known for strong Christian values and preaching.
When we were looking to move, I wanted an area that could withstand shocks — a place where neighbors would band together if times got hard. I found a place where Christians interact daily. I was looking for a place with believers, and I found an area that actively helps build men to be stronger, godlier, and better leaders. I was looking for the wrong thing, but God’s providence provided even though my mistaken goals.
What about you? Are you living somewhere you hate? Do you feel like your neighbors would shun you if they knew you owned guns? Is your church and pastor feeding you in a way that’s making you a better man? Would you like to be surrounded by more people like you? Maybe it’s time to consider one of the growing Christian communities in Idaho, Texas, Utah, Arizona, or elsewhere?
