As I began writing this, Dolly Parton had just died. According to one of her nephews who headed her security for years, Dolly was a believer in Jesus Christ. She was at the moment of her death “resting in the arms of Jesus,” the nephew said. We can certainly hope that is true, of course. But that’s between her and God, as believers know.

Neither fame, celebrity, riches, nor anything else of this world can assure salvation. There is but one way to salvation and eternity with God. Jesus explained that He is that Way, as recorded in John 14:6):

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

The famed singer/songwriter/actress apparently died after a short struggle with cancer of some sort, according to news reports. This sparked another report that interested me. It was a list they gave from the Center for Disease Control.

The list gave the numbers of the leading causes of death causes for the year 2025, I think. They were the following (cdc.gov, Faststats Leading Causes of Death-Centers.)

Top 10 Leading Causes of Death

1. Heart disease
2. Cancer (malignant neoplasms)
3. Accidents (unintentional injuries, including drug overdoses and motor vehicle crashes)
4. Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases)
5. Chronic lower respiratory diseases
6. Alzheimer’s disease
7. Diabetes
8. Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis (kidney disease)
9. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
10. Suicide.

The top three numbers of deaths in the US were:

• Heart disease: 683,491
• Cancer: 619,876
• Accidents (unintentional injuries): 197,449

These are the statistics given by our government about the causes of death for one year. The Center for Disease Control keeps as careful records as possible. They (government officials) desire to do so in order to prevent future deaths from these dreaded causes as much as possible.

They cannot prevent these deaths. Death is inevitable. Each and every one of us alive at this moment will die—except, of course, if and when the Rapture occurs in our lifetimes.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment… (Hebrews 9:27)  

So there is great concern by American government officials and politicians for these statistics. Any significant increase somehow, they believe, will reflect badly on their ability to reduce or maintain the status quo about these numbers and the causes of the numbers. To fail in at least maintaining the status quo might mean loss of power and control in the political/governmental world.

But God’s heavenly accounting system is far different, we must consider. And the one way it is Infinitely different is that there is a statistic left out of the US and other governmental accountings.

All the statistics listed for last year are skewed by the deaths of 1.1 million not accounted for by the CDC. That is the number of babies aborted last year, if I am hearing the correct statistic. Some 1.1 million human beings are murdered in the wombs of their mothers –mostly for the cause of choice, as reported.

Staggeringly, seventy-three million children were killed in such a way worldwide in the year just past.

Heaven’s accounting system of such yearly deaths must surely ring loudly in the throne room while those deaths register.

What a disheartening matter it is to hear and consider such statistics. Defenseless little ones, innocent of any sin overtly committed, executed, in almost every case, for the sake of convenience.

However, there is tremendous truth that can salve the understanding of those who abhor this murderous tendency of humankind to destroy their own children for convenience of choice.

Each and every one of these little ones so killed in the abortion evil are instantaneously in the presence of God and will enjoy the blessings of eternal life.

We understand this because of God’ very character, which we have looked at a number of times in considering children and the Rapture.

The most dramatic case to prove that babies go to be with the Lord upon death is, of course, the child produced from David’s illicit affair with Bathsheba. David said that the baby couldn’t come to him, but that he, David, would go to the baby one day upon death.

Every baby that dies, even those that are but fetuses, even those just conceived, will go to be with the Lord if they die in the womb or before the age of accountability –the age or cognitive level achieved to be able to decide to accept or reject God’s offer of salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Now that is a reason to praise such an accounting system, as opposed to our governmental accounting systems that completely ignore the deaths of these innocent little ones.

And, again, I can’t mention the matter of abortion without offering this comfort for those who have aborted a child. There is no sin that is unforgivable but that of unbelief. That is refusing to accept Christ for forgiveness.

God offers His grace—His forgiveness—even for the terrible sin of abortion.

Again, I want to emphasize that this is a most significant matter in our consideration of what we are charged with by Heaven to accomplish through our website Raptureready.com.

Although even some among conservative seminaries who teach the pre-Trib Rapture say I’m wrong, I believe that every baby, every child below that age of accountability, will go to Christ when He calls the Church to Himself. I believe with all that is within my spiritual understanding that God is going to make a statement that no one can miss when that shout, “Come up here!” (Revelation 4: 1), is made by Jesus. The world will suddenly be absent of all babies and small children—and all others who never came to the cognitive ability to make a decision for Christ. The God of Heaven will at that moment let this rebellious world know exactly what He thinks of the sin of abortion, and exactly when life begins.

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22: 20)