I am a Jesus pusher!!! “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake” (Matthew 5:11). This is a DECLARATION OF HIS PRIORITY in your life. Jesus never presents His relationship with you as an escape. He never baits us with the allurement of comfort, ease, and wealth. Jesus boldly declares that proper relationship with Him will equal persecution. The heart of the Christian faith is a cross not a rocking chair. Let it be known up front, let it be a key factor in your decision, your life will be changed when you have relationship with Jesus, and it will mean persecution. The choice of all who are Christian is choosing Jesus and inevitable persecution over personal safety!
Persecution is not the fine print of the contract. It is not hidden and revealed after a time. There is no honeymoon period and then it will strike your life. The radical nature of choosing Christ is an abandonment of self and all of its concern. We do not sugarcoat or soft peddle this message. But let me boldly declare, intimacy with Jesus is worth more than an escape from persecution. There is no sacrifice too great to know Him; in fact, any sacrifice quickly ceases to be sacrifice. Every suffering of persecution becomes a minor irritation, a small discomfort, and an unnoticed hindrance. Jesus is so great that He overshadows all else. The presence of persecution reveals His priority in my life. He is more important than personal comfort. Jesus is worthy! I am a Jesus pusher!!!