I never will forget how impacted I was when, reading through the bible for the first time of my own volition, I discovered that Jesus has a sense of humor! It made me want to know more about him. I then discovered how relaxed and at ease He was in just about every situation. Anxiety and stress over a potential lack of provision, place to sleep, time for rest, or even due to manipulative and conniving Pharisees just did not seem to take hold of Him, not in the least. Joyful, playful, relaxed, and THEN I began to see, too, His authority and confidence. BOOM, what a mic drop! It was so different than I had been previously led to believe.

As I discovered all of these things, I also couldn’t help but wonder what also made Jesus sober minded, angry, grieved or sad. Although you might be thinking of many passages right now about this, I want to focus on just two. The first is from Isaiah:

“Yet you have not called on me, Jacob, you have not wearied yourselves for me, Israel. You have not brought me sheep for burnt offerings, nor honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with grain offerings nor wearied you with demands for incense. You have not bought any fragrant calamus for me, or lavished on me the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins and wearied me with your offenses. I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”

-Isaiah 43:24-25

And…

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!

Matthew 23:37

I know, they are an odd pair for me to choose, but both passages point to hearts unwilling to receive. It’s as if His people are holding up an obstinate hand to signify “NO”. How grieving that must be to the Holy Spirit!

In case you may be thinking those passages only apply to Israel or to Jerusalem, there is one thing I have learned. History has a tendency to be cyclical. It repeats itself. I have no doubts one could have replaced “Israel”, and “Jerusalem” with “Germany” and “Berlin” once upon a time. And, with the exception of this current time of refreshing, I have no doubts you could do the same today with “the United States” and “Washington DC”, for history tells us that we are now parroting the path that Germany was on just prior to when Hitler came into power.

The entire world is at a crossroads. I truly believe the United States is the pivotal piece of the puzzle. I believe He is once again setting the choice before us of life and death, and encouraging us, THE CHURCH, to choose life! The choice is ours to make, and the impact is eternal. Let’s not let this time of refreshing go to waste, for the consequences are deadly.