One of the most profound revelations that is needed within the body of Christ is the power of community that flows through corporate union with the headship of Christ. It is Christ living in us and us in Him that allows us to see the reality of His life in the context of community.
During a mentoring session, Dr. Mark Chironna shared how the human condition is part of the prophetic process and personality, as well as history, all influence what we claim to be a Word from God. I agree with him.
As I contemplate and ruminate on this, a quick perusal of history will show this to be true in processing the times in which we live in and knowing what we should do.
For example, many different streams of theological thought were forged in the hearts of men and women during times of Hitler, the world wars and times of segregation in response to the times. This indicates the influence history has on how we interpret Scripture in light of the times. Some were good, others not so much.
It is during these historic times that those who understand the times and seasons and have been baptized into Christ’s story for the purpose of His life, as Michael Gorman, author of Cruciformity argues, “re-lived in and among the baptized.” Issacharians during times of crisis understand with renewed insight and revelation of what it means to be baptized into His death and being conformed by the cross—in other words, cruciformity.
It is the power of His Resurrection that empowers Issacharians to live a crucified life, where the times are interpreted by, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer says, the concept that “the Lord has become my conscious.” In other words, the voice of His Blood that still speaks from the place of His throne and council cleanses the consciousness to help us see as He sees and respond just as He would.
His voice floods the eyes of the heart with the light of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord that shines from the face of Christ. Issacharians are broken, reformed and shaped “for the times” and not shaped “by the times” to be a solution “In the times.” In order to know what to do, we must properly interpret the times through the eyes of Christ.
In this podcast, we see how when a Christ community does not live with the centrality of the crucified Christ, it is in danger of being formed by the times instead of being the solution within it.
To hear more, listen to this episode of Keys to Walking in Kingdom Culture, titled Christ in Community.
Purchase Wayland Henderson’s latest book on Discipleship: Walking with God: Repairing the Breach and Restoring the Ancient Path to Discipleship.
