If you asked the religious leaders of His day they would probably say yes. Jesus challenged the way things were done, the way people thought and the way they acted. He wanted them to step out in faith, and believe God to do something that seemed "to them" impossible. This is shown most clearly to us in the account of Peter walking on the water. Peter was a SUCCESS; after all he DID walk on the water as Jesus had told him to!

But "we the all-knowing, well-rounded church of today", many times look at him as failing: WHY? Because his success was by our standards short, and he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the problems around him. Peter obeyed the call of Jesus and was blessed because he did so! Remember it was Peter who received the revelation that Jesus was the Christ; Matthew 17:16-17. And part of that revelation brought blessing to Peter. Did his receiving have anything to do with his being willing to obey Jesus? Many times in today's society people refer to Christians as pushy, they feel as though believers are too aggressive, just the way the people did with Jesus. That pushy man had the nerve to spit into dirt; making mud and then put it into the eyes of a blind man. [ John 9:1-27 ]

Did anybody ask the blind man who was healed, if he thought Jesus was pushy?

Jesus told the fisherman who had worked more than their shift and had no success, to return to the water and drop their nets in, they thought He was pushy telling them how to do their job. But only because Simon respected Him as a rabbi or "teacher", did he do it. Simon obeyed God "Jesus" and that obedience was the key to there success.

Do you think Simon thought that Jesus was pushy while he and his friends pulled in the great multitude of fishes? No; Simon realized that his attitude toward Jesus command was sinful. Luke 5:1-11 gives the account of this. Jesus challenges us to step out of our zone of comfort, out of the established pattern or mode of operations. The man of God who is in submission to Jesus as lord will appear pushy to the person who does not want to run with God. If you challenge people to do more, give more, pray more, and be more; someone out there will brand you as pushy. Count it all joy my friend, the people did the same to Jesus. Never in the history of the world have we the "church" Jesus body, had the opportunities in such a great number to minister His love and saving grace to our neighbors all across the world. Begin with the ones across the street, around the corner, or at the grocery store; just begin today! But I'm not an evangelist or preacher! I have heard that excuse from every corner of the church, oh yea people from each denomination put their own twist on it. One says it is up to the parish priest to visit with people and talk about God; you know Father Mike knows so much more about the Bible than I do. Another says leave the evangelizing to Reverend Johnson, or we have the traveling evangelist Brother Richardson. Ect. Ect. Ect. We all have someone to push the responsibility for sharing Jesus onto. Today is the day you need to pick up your cross and take the portion of that responsibility that is yours. Did you know that JESUS commanded or commissioned us ALL to go into the world, we have record of this in Mark’s gospel account chapter 16:15-18 and Matthew 28:18-20. Verse 20 of Matthew chapter 28 shows us that this commission was not just to the eleven disciples that remained, but to EVERY PERSON that has come to believe in Jesus since!

The world is so very big and yet at the same time, many of us have an extremely small view of the world.

I am a simple person, maybe you are more complex than I am; but I must look at things in their simplest form. The world is America, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and so many more places. But the world starts right outside your front door and extends to places we have never even heard of. Your neighborhood is the world, as is your work place, or school. So many times when "missions" are spoken of we envision the garbage dumps of Mexico City or the jungles of Africa or the devil lined streets of India. Theses are mission fields, BUT so are the suburban tree lined streets of the USA, Australia, England or the crowds filing into the ball game on Sunday morning or the concert on Saturday night. How many hundreds of thousands of men worship at the golf tees each Sunday morning? Millions of precious children enter our public schools to study each day, how many of these children know Jesus? Or the millions that enter offices or factories each day not knowing Jesus. These my friend are all mission fields! The Apostle Paul and Jesus himself are our examples of missionaries for us to follow. It could be said that we all; all who believe in Jesus are called as missionaries, the question is are we willing to OBEY his commands in the gospel of Mark chapter 16?I am a pushy Christian, I will stand boldly and tell you that if you are not telling people about Jesus and His goodness; at a minimum trying to introduce them to Jesus. Then you my friend are not a child of God. Matthew 12:48-50. Now please understand, I am not saying that we will "all" lead people to Jesus all the time, just as an apple tree does not give apples it first few years or even 12 months out of the year; you must grow mature and experience seasons of growth and reproduction.

But ask yourself this, if I plant an apple tree and after several years I have yet to get one apple from that tree, would I continue to waste time, space, water, and money on that tree, or would I cut it down and try again with another tree? Keep in mind, I want apples not shade! A healthy apple tree gives apples, a healthy Christian reproduces themselves just like the apple tree does. God has ordained you to " bring forth fruit " " to reproduce " John 15:5-6 and John 15:15-16. Pushy, pushy, pushy! Here I go again, ask yourself these questions and pray that the Holy Spirit of God reveal the truth of the answers to your heart. #1. Have you been a Christian more than one year? # 2. Do you tithe at least 10% of all your increase? # 3. Do you read your Bible and ask God to speak directly to you through it? # 4. How many people will spend eternity in heaven because you introduced them to Jesus this past year? # 5. Is Jesus your Savior? # 6. Is Jesus your Lord? Will you choose to obey Jesus at all cost?

Far to many of us have come to Jesus and ask Him to come into our hearts as Savior "ONLY"!

Jesus died and rose from the dead as Savior for "ALL" the world,

He is Savior for any person who accepts Him as so. For Jesus to be " Lord " requires us to each moment of each day, to obey His commands, commissions, and still small voice promptings and guidings. OBEY, OBEY, OBEY many times we will give large sacrifices to God's work often our time; but most often our money, He is happy when we sacrifice but as His word say's " obedience is better than sacrifice. " 1 Samuel 15:22.I would never try to present myself as a theologian or Bible scholar, but sometimes we " Christians " take ourselves to seriously and not the simple Word of God serious enough. Jesus is plane and simple; it is the religious who add loads of things to His word and thus make it complicated. Do not misunderstand me, I am not saying that Jesus and God the Father and the Holy Spirit are simpletons! You will find the simplest things around us are very intricate and elaborate when you move in closely to examine them. " Oh magnify the Lord with me " Psalm 34:3 when we allow this scripture to come alive in our lives, we begin to see the beautifully intricate workings of our God in a new light and fresh revelation. Our God is an awesome God; and He wants to reveal ALL of Himself to you today.

Forever I am yours and " NOTHING " can separate me from your love!

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