When the new church phase is on the wane, there will be evidenced in the churches something that has not been seen before: a coming together of those with an emphasis on the Word and those with an emphasis on the Spirit. When the Word and the Spirit come together, there will be the biggest movement of the Holy Spirit that the nation, and indeed the world, has ever seen. (Smith Wigglesworth)

This coming together of the Word and Spirit has been confirmed by others, including R.T. Kendall, former pastor of Westminster Chapel and Christian author:

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By word I mean the centrality of the gospel. By spirit I mean signs, wonders and miracles. I believe that it will mean a spontaneous combustion of power and authority for the Church and a wake-up call to the nation.

Both of these nationally recognized spiritual leaders have prophesied a heaven-sent “revival” and “movement” of God, ignited by a coming together of the Word and the Spirit. If we want to embrace this word and position ourselves for heaven’s “spontaneous combustion,” I believe it will take the Word-based Evangelicals and the Spirit-fueled Charismatics and Pentecostals to pursue even closer relationships in prayer, practice, and initiatives. Rather than simply acknowledging each other’s presence in the room, we need to walk to the center, huddle in prayer, and start taking notes from heaven.

This next move of the Spirit will require a coming together of believers that is much deeper than in days gone by. Intercession is requiring a oneness of heart and mind that can only happen when we embrace the apostles and prophets, the Word and the Spirit, and acknowledging the value and power of each. It must influence the way we worship together and pray together, for this is the only way to access heaven’s power and authority.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of His household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

Two years ago I had a profound dream that highlighted God’s heart concerning the coming together of the Body of Christ:

I saw a group of people praying in the corner, huddled together in earnest intercession. Behind them in the far distance was a mountain. I knew it represented kingdom authority and heaven’s council. The intercessors were seeking to connect to this mountain, to align themselves in order to break through the veil and bring heaven’s authority to bear on the earth. Yet, the connection was not clear. Interaction with this mountain was blocked.

Knowing we were not fully aligned, I stepped out of the group and began to move to the center, holding an invisible kind of line connected to this mountain. I knew we had to come into perfect alignment in order to break through. Finally, after continuing to move little by little toward the middle, watching this line of communication eventually settle into place, I waited.

After a few moments I saw something begin to move in the distance. Slowly but steadily I saw three distinct Beings emerge from the heart of the mountain. Closer and closer they came until I saw what they were. Three large eagles, stately, bearing immense authority and grace. As they drew closer, I knew they had been summoned. I also knew they were looking at me.

As they drew nearer a fear and dread began to come over me at the authority and might I sensed coming from them. They were deliberate, forceful, yet moving cautiously…looking…listening. At last, the three huge figures hovered immediately above me, looking down at me with a silent yet unmistakably loud message: “We come together, or not at all.”

I woke from this dream shaking in the Fear of the Lord. I had never experienced the power and presence of the Trinity before. Their call was unmistakable, and I knew it was a charge to the Church. It was the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit speaking to us as we are desperately praying for breakthrough in both the nation and in the Church.

Until we acknowledge the fullness of each person of the Godhead, we will not see the fullness of heaven come to the earth. We cannot pick and choose which expression of the Trinity we prefer. We cannot focus on one at the expense of the other. Each represents and expresses God’s heart and character in a different dimension. God, our Creator and loving heavenly Father. Jesus Christ, the Word become flesh and the only way to salvation through the cross. Holy Spirit, the full expression and manifestation of the Father’s heart. They are One. They cannot be divided. If we want heaven to come to earth, they must come together.

In our ongoing intercession and interaction as the Body of Christ, we must honor and celebrate those expressions and messages that are different from ours. Those who focus on the Father’s unconditional love must be willing to acknowledge the call to righteousness. Those who celebrate the gifts of the Spirit must do so in love and submission to the Living Word. Those who call for a higher standard of scriptural integrity must also be willing to embrace activities of the Spirit that are not easily understood or proof-texted in Scripture.

We do not have to compromise our convictions in order to value and honor other parts of the Body and the assignment they carry (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-14). God speaks through many voices and each voice that is connected to His heart carries a needed message. Yet, each is but a part of the whole. If we do not see the value of each part, we will miss the whole message.

In the dream I had to get out of my comfortable corner in order to align my heart with heaven. I had to step outside my familiar group and surroundings in order to summon a response. The connection I was looking for was a heart connection. I needed to tune my heart to God’s in order to comprehend the fullness of His plans and purposes. To do that, I had to be willing to go into unfamiliar territory so I could receive new input and new perspectives.

I believe the Lord is inviting us to pay more attention to the frequencies of heaven than with our own familiar wavelengths. In our prayers, our interactions, and our communications, we can honor one another and give value to the particular message each brings and the role each part plays. When we hear God’s purposes fully expressed through each part of the Body, we will truly connect to His heart. His Spirit within us will help to filter out the unnecessary parts and lesser things so we can hear the full counsel from heaven.

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. (1 Corinthians 12:12-14 NIV)