God's word for Budapest

Gabi reports on her weblog about the hurricane that hit Budapest this evening, and that turned their national day of celebration into a day of tragedy. She asks if prophets in Europe and the world have some insight whether this is the hand of God or just coincidence. Although I would say most natural phenomena don't carry a prophetic message (no worries if it starts getting windy today ;-), some certainly do, and the timing of this storm on St. Stephen's Day (the foundation of Hungary), right at the beginning of the 30 mins celebration, is quite remarkable. I don't claim to have the final insight here, but let me offer what I have for prayerful discernment:

1. There is an interesting pattern, a correlation between some exceptionally heavy storms and God's prophetic word/warning to the Church. I've seen that in Utrecht, where a historic tornado destroyed most churches back in 1674, following the sin of division and politics, and which still speaks prophetically to a divided church today. Prophet Andrea Xandry and others have encountered it in Switzerland; a prophesied storm called Lothar severely damaged the forests as a sign that God will take down human structures (in churches and ministries) that don't align with His purposes in this season. Wolfgang Simson mentions a similar correlation in his comment on the tsunami that hit on 26 December 2004 (also a St. Stephen's Day), and Chuck Pierce gives meaning to the (also prophesied) hurricane Katrina that hit New Orleans.

2. It might be coincidence, but this theme of empire (a label for man-made religion, agendas, politics and structures getting in the way of God) has been the exact thing I've been battling spiritually this weekend in relation to Europe, and especially Budapest. I believe Budapest/Hungary carries a calling of reconciliation for the new Europe that's uniting in the Spirit (not talking about the EU here, though it might have political influence as well), but the stronghold that's keeping her back is division. Division in the city (Buda versus Pest), division in the church, division ethnically and division in clearly discerning God's plans with Europe today.

3. This touches also on the East-West divide in Europe that some ministries, even DAWN, wish to maintain, but that's no longer matching with God's reality. This Summer it's 17 years ago that God led me to Hungary, where at that time the first hole was pushed in the Iron Curtain. We know how a catalytic domino-effect of events enfolded before our eyes in that historic year of 1989. The (visible) division of Europe was coming to an end. It's interesting that today, 20 August, is also the day the Russians killed the 'Prague Spring' in 1968, as well as the day the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. God has the final word. Empires (like the communist) can only exist as long as they're in line with God's purposes. The East-West divide in Europe is over in the Spirit and politically, and the challenge we now have is to also overcome this divide in our thinking, so we act in line with God's reality. As prophet Phil Townend from the UK observes, God is forming a net over the world (also over Europe) that's not developed along human notions. We can either move with Him or end up getting in His way. His Kingdom is not compatible with human empires and boxes in whatever well-meant form.

4. It's also relevant to note that this storm hit on St. Stephen's Day, the main national day in Hungary, remembering the crowning of Stephen I as King of Hungary in the year 1000. This was a foundational event for Hungary, and God is always concerned about foundations. A foundation can be good, bad or mixed, and it says a lot about what can be built on it. Stephen is considered the first Christian King of Hungary, because he promoted Christianity. But of course this was a mixed blessing, as it was highly politicized (Contantinian). He received his crown (authority) from Rome (again: empire mixing with the Kingdom of God), and at his deathbed dedicated the nation of Hungary to Mary Queen of Heaven - not to Christ (again a wrong loyalty). The spiritual influence of these kind of false covenants (covenants with other principalities than Christ) cannot be underestimated. It raises the question for Hungarian Christians (and the church at large) to whom their first loyalty is: to Christ, the Lord of Lords, or to secondary powers, whether it's of a political, economical or religious nature. The real St. Stephen, the first martyr after which Stephen I was named, was killed because he openly declared that God does not live in man-made structures. How much clearer the message can be?

So to summarize: I don't think this storm is a punishment or judgement in the sense that God wants to bash Hungary for being a bad boy/girl. Rather it's something that God might use to urgently call for our attention. And one of the main things He's speaking about in this season (not just to me, but to many prophetic types) is that His Spirit-led organic ways to bring the Kingdom is not compatible with human boxes and loyalties.

Comments

[Gabi]

http://ngaboca.typepad.com/weblog/2006/08/storm_leftovers.html More thoughts are coming as time allows for me to jott them down. Thanks for taking the time. I really appreciate it!