A New Three-Fold Cord

The scripture says “… a three-fold cord is not easily broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12 KJV) I have a new prophetic picture - three types of convergence.

Recently I participated in a large corporate prayer event. The focus of this gathering was praising God, worshipping in the Spirit, and making bold declarations. The decrees were for God’s will to be done, for a spiritual awakening to occur in America. It was positive in tone, jubilant in style, and noisy. It was probably one of the happiest scenes I’ve witnessed in years. I was especially moved to rejoice as I watched my grandchildren dance with exuberant joy before the Lord. My spirit literally leaped inside me as I watched this happen. I have great hope for us and for America.

Why intercede for an awakening? A spiritual awakening from God is the only answer for America’s systemic problems: racism, disease, moral decay, family fragmentation, widespread deception, and a slide toward socialistic economic ruin. An awakening is a resurgence of the kingdom of God via the real gospel, the original faith of our apostolic fathers found in the Bible.

Similar large prayer events are happening frequently across America. Although a bit of organization is necessary, these events are based on organic relationships, not a denomination or an organization. The Holy Spirit is leading the way. God’s leaders are responding obediently. Many Spirit-filled pastors are getting involved. Five-fold ministries who are not pastors are on board. The regional leadership is by default usually falling to those with something larger than a local church vision: Christ’s apostles and prophets. This was the case here in NW Arkansas where I regularly pray with three apostles who stood in agreement for this event’s purpose.

Our event was called Heartland Assembly. It was spearheaded by apostle Todd Murner, pastor of The Rock of NWA. Black and white leaders of Arkansas united together. All the leaders - men and women - were Spirit-filled. They flowed together in the Holy Spirit. They were comfortable with prophesying decrees of the Lord or singing praises to God. They understood spiritual authority and were not afraid to use the King’s scepter - His “enforcing word.”

Before this prayer event, I had been seeing something transpire. Prayer events and coordinated prayer movements have been gaining more coherence and more conviction. A divine authority -extra grace - has been appearing within these movements, an “insistent” revelation of God’s will. Pastors would be advised to not ignore or miss out on this flowing river. Pastors need to pay attention to what apostles, prophets, and teachers are saying from the Spirit. Their words have fresh revelation and new strategies. They carry hope for saving the family and saving America.

Many national leaders such as Dutch Sheets have spoken before about a “synergy of the ages.” I agree with this idea. This phrase refers to telling the old stories of revivals, outpourings, and awakenings. By testifying about what God has done before, we can help rekindle the faith of people in our present day. Why? Because God can do it again. Revival fires can be re-lit.

Synergy of the Ages occurs when we connect with those people who have gone before. We can do this by reviewing their history. Pioneers of the faith showed us the way. If we stand on their shoulders, then we don’t need to restart from scratch. One generation can hand off to the next generation successfully, like marathon runners in a race handing off a baton, older to younger.

I also witnessed a Convergence of Streams. When we flow together and overcome natural barriers to merge, our effect is dramatically increased. Think about streams flowing into a river. A tributary is a stream (perhaps a small river) that flows into a larger river or a lake. As it flows, by merging and joining up, it contributes to something greater than itself. Force and volume are both multiplied. The place where a fresh-water stream joins a larger river is called a confluence. St. Louis is a confluence. There the Missouri River flows into the Mississippi River.

No single stream has grace, wisdom, or power to go it alone. We need each other, especially charismatics and evangelicals. In my ministry, I’ve always been trans-denominational. Your church affiliation doesn’t matter to me. I was raised among Pentecostals in the Assemblies of God. My spiritual mentor, the late Karl Strader, was a mega-church pastor. He used to say, “If a dog comes along barking for Jesus, he’ll be my friend.” He welcomed folks of all backgrounds into the Holy Spirit family - the Body of Christ. Labels should never exclude anyone. I welcome believers of all backgrounds and I encourage everyone to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. When “activated” believers worship or work together, we more easily can honor Jesus and do His work.

The third thing I saw at this Heartland Assembly was something powerful that I had not realized before. It was a third kind of divine synergy, a new convergence. I saw Apostles and Prophets Partnering Together. An extraordinary level of grace and was manifested as a result. Confluence in the heavenly realm had created greater influence in the earthly realm. It was powerful.

As most of you know, the Lord Jesus shows Himself to the church in a functional way through His five Ascension gifts: apostles, prophets, teachers, shepherds, and evangelists. (Eph. 4:11) What may be less obvious is that despite the restoration of spiritual gifts in the church over the last few decades, it is often the case that these five ministries do not pair up or team up very well. Independence or ego gets in the way. The old religious mindset of solo ministry – one man operation – has mitigated against effective teamwork. But that is changing fast. Perhaps we are becoming mature enough or humble enough to realize we need each other. God is using the fire of suffering to drive us together. Jesus refuses to remain divided. I’m convinced that apostles, prophets, and teachers unifying in mutual love, brotherhood, and prayer can lay the foundation for greater effectiveness more than what any of us could ever achieve alone. To God be the glory!

To conclude, let me paint a picture for you. Imagine a heavy braided rope with golden fibers. I see a triple-stranded rope: 1) a convergence of streams, 2) a synergy of generations, and 3) a partnering of apostles with prophets. This three-fold cord is strong, not breakable. This rope is golden, not plain. It’s durable, valuable, with gold threads. It’s woven by the Lord Himself. Remember, Jesus knows how to braid a rope. He did it once before when He fashioned a whip.

“I saw a new three-fold cord” by Ron Wood, prophet and teacher – February 3, 2022