What an absolute joy it was for the Cornerstone family to witness the baptism of eight precious boys and girls this past Sunday. Many of these children have participated in our Children's ministry and more recently were involved in our church's Vacation Bible School back in June. Watching that beautiful procession of precious children, each sporting their white baptism robe, made me think of what our Lord declared in (Matthew 18:2-4)," And calling to Him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ' 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."

I'm convinced that it was not the cute cuddly appearance of the child that impressed our Lord's heart, but the innocent, unpretentious, simple, yet sincere trust the child placed in those who cared for him. Notice the little boy in this episode didn't attempt to run from or hide from Jesus, nor did he resist the Lord when he called him and picked him up, placing him in the midst of a whole crowd of people, but he simply trusted Jesus. He put his life, literally, in the hands of the Lord, to be used by the Lord in any way He pleased.

Isn't that the very essence of faith and the salvation experience? That is the point the Lord was attempting to get across to the crowd that day and to people today. He is calling each child, teen and/ or adult to come to Him, to trust Him completely and be willing to be used by Him. Somehow, young children are better able to do that than others who are older, more independent, self-conscious, self-centered and self-sufficient. Sometimes they get the idea that "their way" may somehow be a little better than Jesus' way, so they balk or ignore His invitation of faith. Consequently, many of them will miss the very Kingdom of Heaven. I hope your prideful, selfish, unbelieving heart will not keep you out of Heaven, but it will unless you "humble yourself as a child" and come to Jesus by faith. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)