“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.”
Matthew 18:3-5
While the sad reality of life in a broken world means we will all experience death (unless Christ returns first), yet the glorious reality is that God also continues to give new life. Approximately 385,000 babies are born into this world each day, adding up to 140 million new lives per year! In Canada alone, an average of 1151 babies are born alive each day! As each new baby is welcomed into this world, the world’s population continues to grow, with the U.N. projecting it will hit 8 billion on November 15 of this year!
There is one prevailing attitude that will keep a man from the kingdom of God – and that attitude is pride! It was pride that kept the Pharisees from Jesus! Pride caused the fall of Lucifer, and pride continues to wreak havoc in hearts and homes, in friendships and families! An old Country song includes the line, “It’s my belief pride is the chief cause in the decline in the number of husbands and wives.” G. K. Chesterton once said, “If I only had one sermon to preach, it would be a sermon against pride.”
“Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you,” said the South African Pastor, Andrew Murray. In a world that promotes pride in every wicked perversion imaginable, the Scriptures repeatedly extol humility! Jesus says, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” The great scholar, C. S. Lewis has said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.”
Jesus also said, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.” This week we have the incredible opportunity to proclaim the gospel through Vacation Bible School to the children of this community! May we be busy serving and praying that the Lord of the harvest would be pleased to use our small efforts to save souls. Our hope and prayer is that, as the population of the world grows, so too, the population of the kingdom of God would grow, until that great day when our God gathers all His children in!
Thank you fir this message. It has been particularly personal to me this week.
I have moved to Calgary Alberta but am still receiving these emails and find them a reassure touch from back in Ontario. I’m rebuilding, making a new life here close to my grandchildren and children. It’s difficult at times to stay balanced, these messages help.