Hidden in Christ: The First Shelter

Our First and Primary Refuge

Before land, before community, before preparation — there is Jesus.

Every form of biblical protection flows from one place: union with Christ. We are not protected because we build, prepare, or position ourselves. We are protected because our lives are “hidden with Christ in God”
(Colossians 3:3).

This is the first shelter — the only shelter that holds in every season, every shaking, every wilderness, and every storm. Everything FOZI builds begins here.

Protection Begins With Identity

In Scripture, protection is never merely external. It begins internally with who we are in Him. When fear rises, when the world shakes, when systems crumble, the remnant stands because their identity does not come from circumstances, assets, geography, or earthly security — it comes from being in Christ
(2 Corinthians 5:17;
Ephesians 1:3).

He is our covering
(Psalm 91:1–2).

He is our wisdom
(1 Corinthians 1:30).

He is our provision
(Matthew 6:31–33).

He is our Shepherd
(Psalm 23:1;
John 10:11).

He is our strong tower
(Proverbs 18:10).

The first work of preparation is always inward: restoring the heart to the place of trust.

What It Means to Be Hidden

Being hidden in Christ is not isolation. It is preservation with purpose. God hides His people the way:

God never hides His people to keep them passive. He hides them to form, purify, instruct, and prepare.

In Christ, we are hidden:

This internal shelter is what gives the remnant the ability to walk in clarity when the world is confused, and in peace when the world is shaken.

The Difference Between “Being Hidden” and “Hiding”

Many believers confuse these two:

  • Hiding is driven by fear.
  • Being hidden is God’s strategic positioning.

Fear isolates. Christ covers.
Fear retreats. Christ forms and sends.

FOZI communities are not built to escape hardship; they are built so God can prepare people for ministry in a time of shaking
(Matthew 24:12–14).

Hiddenness Has a Purpose

When God hides a person or a people, He is preparing them for:

  • greater responsibility,
  • greater clarity,
  • greater fruitfulness,
  • greater service.

Hiddenness is not the end. It is the womb of calling.

It is where:

  • Character is shaped,
  • Fear is uprooted,
  • Identity is solidified,
  • Hearing is sharpened,
  • Obedience is formed.

A remnant can only stand publicly after they have first been hidden privately
(Luke 2:39–40;
Galatians 1:15–18).

Hiddenness and Community

FOZI communities do not exist to replace Christ as the refuge. They exist to express His refuge in tangible form:

  • Safe relationships,
  • Shared work and worship,
  • Stable rhythms of life,
  • A culture of prayer, humility, and accountability.

A community can shelter people only because it abides under the shelter of Christ
(Psalm 91:4;
John 15:4–5).
He is the covering. The community is the fruit of His covering.

How to Enter the First Shelter

The way into Christ as our hiding place is beautifully simple:

These are not survival techniques. They are Kingdom postures.

Where This Leads

When a believer is hidden in Christ, they naturally become part of a people hidden in plain sight — the next phase of God’s pattern of protection.

From here, FOZI begins to explore how God marks out places on the earth where His people can live, work, and serve together in times of shaking.

🌿 Continue Your Journey

FOZI begins here — in Christ, the first refuge. Every farm, every community, every leader, and every remnant gathering flows from this foundation. Before we build with our hands, we anchor our hearts in the One who cannot be shaken
(Hebrews 12:27–28).

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