I have to admit I’m incredibly excited about Dwell 2017. In fact I haven’t been this excited about a something in quite a while. Every prophetic word I see, both directly about Dwell and also beyond, is about this being a new season of fulfilment of God’s promises.
Now that may make you feel a little weary and cynical as I’ve yet to meet a prophetic person who wasn’t talking about the new exciting thing God is about do. It can feel like brinkmanship. If you say God is about to do something amazing often enough, eventually you’re going to be right!
On the flip side, to some extent it’s always true that God is about to do something amazing. The bible tells us to live with the expectation that Jesus could return today and as believers we are living from the future (The Kingdom of God) into our present reality. That’s what faith is.
So why am particularly excited about this Dwell?
Over the last few years there have been a number of significant prophetic words over us which don’t appear to me to have been fully fulfilled. Given that the people who gave them are recognisable prophets and the words resonated in my spirit at the time, I’m unwilling to dismiss them as errors.
I think prophetic words are often invitations from God to step into his plans. They are conditional on our response. Sometimes we don’t respond, sometimes we want to respond but the weakness in our lives prevent us stepping in and sometimes we try to step in but the enemies opposition stymies us. God has to strengthen us and refine us before we can take our inheritance. The great thing is we serve a gracious God who trains us for our future and who gives us new opportunities when we fail.
In about 2010 Ryan Matthews felt God tell him that Isaiah 60 was a word for us then.
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
At Dwell 2014 we received a number of significant words about being the generation who would ascend the hill of the Lord (Psalm 24) and becoming mature sons (and daughters) who understand our God given authority and who bring his Kingdom in the places he has put us.
I think we’ve seen bits of this but certainly not the fullness I think God was speaking about.
Now as we approach Dwell 2017 I hear both internal prophetic voices and internationally recognised prophets talking about this being a season of restoration of old promises, about increase in authority and about God opening a door (or gate) (Rev3:8) of opportunity and salvation. These words are coming from so many angles and in so many ways it’s uncanny.
I believe God has placed us in a significant place, Kingston and surrounds (Ham, Wimbledon, Cobham) for a purpose, to live as mature sons and daughters who bring his Kingdom of love and life to earth like it is in heaven and I believe Dwell will be a hugely important time in his Presence when he prepares, empowers and envisions us for what he plans to do through us.
See you there, come expectant!
