I must reiterate that I am not suggesting that Christians should form communes, where everyone would live together in a community exclusive of non-members. Members of an enclave may live at some little distance separated one from another, yet be bound together, spiritually and practically, by virtue of a Covenantal relationship in Christ.
Such an arrangement could also be compared to the manner whereby many foreigners, when they come to America, seek to establish ties with others of their own nationality or of their own ethnic or spiritual identity. Examples of such close-knit communities include, for example, so-called Chinatowns scattered across America, or the (very large) Muslim enclave which encompasses so much of Dearborn, Michigan.
I really have little hope, though, that any such Christian enclaves will actually be formed in America ~ at least, not until some crisis (much greater even than 9/11) may occur. But then it would probably be very difficult to organize a close-knit body of Christians; solid relationships take time and effort to build. I am continually amazed and saddened by the fact that so few Christians (besides a few mostly self-interested "preppers") seem willing to undertake any substantive, preemptive action to prepare against times of serious trouble that must now be very near, given the overwhelming signs of civilizational collapse that are everywhere evident. I reckon that is the result of basic human nature. But Christians are supposed to live on a higher plane than that. (The above image is not intended to represent a Christian enclave. Rather, it is meant to represent the unbelievably careless attitude on the part of so many professing Christians who seem not to notice nor care that the world all around us is in deep crisis.)
Francis Schaeffer, in his important book titled, "A Christian Manifesto" (pub. 1981), explored Biblical principles related to how that Christians should respond to secular society ~ especially, when it happens that secular society increasingly tolerates or even advocates persecution of Christians. (I would be surprised if one in a hundred Christians has studied that book, or understands those principles.) In a chapter titled, "The Limits of Civil Obedience," Schaeffer wrote:
"We have reached a place today [in America] which is violently opposed to what the Founding Fathers of this country and those in the individual thirteen states had in mind when they came together and formed the union. It is time to think to the bottom line as our forefathers did" (red highlight added).I keep pointing to the fact that Schaeffer's writings are now more than 35 years old. We are now fully a generation down the road from Schaeffer's time ~ and that road certainly has not led America nearer toward Revival. Still there has not been any meaningful movement amongst Evangelical leaders, to "think to the bottom line."
The "bottom line" is that America is rushing headlong toward judgment. In fact, I am amazed that God has withheld his wrath for as long as he has. Nevertheless ~ and notwithstanding Trump's presidency, judgment is surely coming. And coming very soon.
What should Christians do? In the first place, it is high time that we must face the fact that this nation has been overrun by ungodly hordes (a great many of whom profess Christianity!). True Christians have neither political nor economic power wherewith to mount any kind of effectual resistance. And I might as well go ahead and say that armed revolution is utterly out of the question. The true body of Christ has one, and only one, answer to meet the current crisis, namely: Revival, a real and powerful move of God's Spirit.
Until that Revival may come, though, to restate Schaeffer's Question: "How should we then live?" Purposeful, thoughtful, Covenantal relationships should be cultivated among genuine Christians, with the aim henceforth to live as if we are aliens in the midst of some foreign land, in daily need of mutual comfort and support one for another; for, in truth, that is now the situation we are in.
At the close of part 1, I mentioned that I would briefly discuss certain principles drawn from the Biblical accounts pertaining to Goshen and Sodom, respectively. Goshen went from being Egypt's upper class suburb, at the time when Joseph first brought his family to live there ~ to being Egypt's ghetto, several generations later, when the Hebrews had been reduced to slavery. Yet, Goshen was the Hebrews' enclave. Their own beliefs and history and aspirations, such as those were, were shared and thus they were preserved largely because the Hebrews lived and suffered together in Goshen. They didn't have much, to be sure. Still, they had each other.
When God sent their deliverer (Moses), at first it seemed that the Hebrews' suffering was intensified; momentarily, it was. Yet, within a very short time, God thenceforth supernaturally protected Goshen, even as successive waves of God's judgments appeared to prostrate every other part of Egypt. I can imagine that one would have been exceedingly glad to have lived in Egypt's "ghetto," then. The slave's enclave, as it turned out, was the only safe place in Egypt.
There never was any comparable "enclave" of God's people, in Sodom. With the exception of Lot, there evidently was no one else in that ancient metropolis, who knew the Lord. Lot had none to console nor to encourage him, in that place. The Bible says that Lot "vexed his righteous soul from day to day," by living alone (as one righteous) in the midst of the wicked. Finally, we know how that God delivered Lot out of Sodom ~ on the very day that God rained down fire and brimstone to destroy not only Sodom but, also, several other large cities in that vicinity.
Goshen was a slaves' ghetto. Sodom was a lush, vibrant metropolis. Goshen was an enclave of Hebrews. Sodom was a wicked city. Goshen was shown great mercy by God, in the time of Egypt's judgment and destruction. Sodom was utterly destroyed by God's wrath, at a time when surrounding areas of Canaan were left unscathed.
Judgment is coming to America; as sure as God is on his throne. But there are still some few Christians living in this land. And I sincerely believe that Wisdom would have us to do exactly as the Scripture says, in Zephaniah 2:1-3:
"Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired; before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’S anger come upon you. Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’S anger."I think the Lord means for us to pay attention to the word, "before." What are we supposed to do? "Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together...." And when are we supposed to gather ourselves together? "Before" ~ the judgment falls.
The time is at hand. God help us to wake up, and to pay attention, and to prepare.
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