Jesus’ “Millstone” Reference and Relevance
A favorite lyric line of mine in a country song by The Oak Ridge Boys called Thank God for Kids is: “The nearest thing to Heaven is a child…”
Now I know that new parents, when up at 3 a.m., walking a baby that won’t stop crying, or having to feed the child at that hour, might not always find that line by the Oak Ridge Boys so heart-warming. But as one now far into the distant grandfatherly sphere, I can and do see the Truth and heart-warming efficacy in the song’s sense of God’s love for children.
God’s Word makes it quite clear about Heaven’s View of children and their innocence and helplessness. We are shown that anyone dealing treacherously with those who haven’t reached an age of full understanding and comportment is dealing with the very center of God’s own Heart. His anger over such egregious treatment of little ones is implicit in His Son’s words while teaching during his earthly incarnation.
“At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drown in the depth of the sea” (Matthew 18:1-6).
It is my contention, based upon conviction from the Holy Spirit, that the millstone reference has a most profound relevance for this generation – especially for America. The satanically inspired treatment of children, much of it codified by the woke movement over the past recent years, shows, I believe, just how near the end of Heaven’s patience is with the Sodom-level wickedness here in this nation and world.
That evil influence from the dark dimension continues to assault all that is decent, and much of it is aimed directly at the youngest, most vulnerable among us. A news item highlights where the nation stands on this war on godliness.
In preparing for a Supreme Court argument on Tuesday over the role of religion in public schools, the justices and their law clerks have considered the usual pile of briefs, pleadings, declarations, and exhibits.
But this time, the key documents in the court record are seven colorful books for young children, with sparse text and cheerful illustrations. They include Pride Puppy, an alphabet primer about a family whose puppy gets lost at a Pride parade; Love, Violet, about a girl who develops a crush on her female classmate; Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, about a same-sex union; and Born Ready, about a transgender boy…
Source: Supreme Court to Weigh Use of L.G.B.T.Q. Children’s Books in Schools – The New York Times By Adam Liptak, April 23, 2025]
While this report is out of the wokeness-prone New York Times —thus we can’t get the full maliciousness wrapped up in what’s going on in the Maryland public schools with regard to the evil attempted against children and their parents—other reports tell the truly troubling story.
An example: Chris Plante on his morning, nationwide radio program, Wednesday, April 23, described the books the Maryland school board insisted even kindergarten children be shown. The pictures were line drawings rather than photographs. If they had been photographs, the producers would have been charged with criminal pedophilia, Plante said. Because they were artist renderings, the pictures were not felonious in the eyes of Maryland law.
Not meaning to offend with being overly graphic, these drawings, Chris Plante said, showed small boys and grown men in sexual ways of the most explicit sort. He described other, even more horrendous drawings in the books being forced upon the parents, who apparently have no recourse to having their children exposed to this wickedness unless the Supreme Court ultimately overrules these ungodly school board members.
Jesus’ Words again reverberate throughout our land as the highest court considers whether to allow or remove such hellish so-called textbooks. I would remind both those school board members and all who perpetrate such evil – and remind the Supreme Court justices as well of God’s verdict on such perversion.
“Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
And more to the Relevance in all of this building end times anti-God activity, I once again must express a Truth I have known since my own earliest childhood, when saved at age 6 in the Seventh Street Bible Tabernacle in Pekin, Illinois.
All children below the age of Accountability will go to Jesus when He calls all believers to Himself in the Rapture. There will not be one such little one–even those just conceived—who will be left behind to face God’s Wrath and Judgment.
Jesus’ own Words, again, I believe, assure this absolute Truth in regard to Children and the Rapture.
“Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus is saying here, I am convinced, that, before reaching the age of accountability, little children are guaranteed to be in His Kingdom.
The God of all Creation will declare through that action exactly when life begins for the pro-abortion and woke activists. He will demonstrate in no uncertain terms His opinion of abortion. He will indeed prove in that electrifying instant of Rapture that the nearest thing to Heaven is a child.
You want to be in God’s Holy Eyes as one of these little children about whom Jesus spoke. That is you want to be a part of those who will go instantaneously to Jesus when He summons the Church (all born-again believers). Simply follow God’s Instructions in order to be forever redeemed out of sin and separation from God.
“That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
–Terry
Does Belief in the Pre-Trib Lead to Complacency? :: By Jonathan Brentner
Opponents of the pre-Tribulation Rapture say that because we believe in divine deliverance from the coming Tribulation judgments, we have little motivation, if any, to care for the needs of those around us or to seek to bring others to Christ.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Like other lines of reasoning against our hope in Jesus’ imminent appearing, the complacency argument bases its conclusion upon supposed experience rather than the words of Scripture, which must always have the final say in all matters of our faith.
In a book that’s scheduled to be published later this month, Invitation to a Lavish Feast – Following Wisdom’s Path to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, I provide a thorough and compelling case of how God’s Word confirms our hope that Jesus will take us home to glory before the start of the seven-year Tribulation.
Let’s, however, take a closer look at other ways in which the reasoning of our opponents falls short.
It Rehashes an Already Failed Argument
The complacency argument resembles one that’s commonly used against the teaching of eternal security. Opponents of this sound biblical doctrine tell us that it engenders carelessness in one’s walk with the Lord since there’s no chance we can lose our salvation.
Paul destroys this line of reasoning in Romans 6:1-11 as he answers this hypothetical question, “Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” If ever he could’ve responded to this inquiry with that of losing one’s gift of eternal life or even the fear of the Lord’s future judgment of us, this was surely it. Instead, the apostle argues from the completeness of our salvation based on our unity with Christ in His death and resurrection. He then asks that his readers remember their secure standing before the Lord with these words: “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
As we dig deeper into the biblical text, we discover further evidence that our incentive to serve the Lord never arises from the erroneous fear of losing our salvation or that of enduring God’s wrath during the seven-year Tribulation. Never.
It Fails to Recognize Our True Motivation for Serving the Lord
The New Testament rather portrays our motivation to serve the Lord as coming from His mercy rather than anything related to what the Lord might do to us if we fall out of line. Consider the words of Romans 12:1:
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
After writing about the wonders our justification and God’s character as one who always keeps His promises (Romans chapters 1-11), Paul bases our response solely upon His amazing mercy. That is why we share our hope with others and help those in need. We serve the Lord in these ways as a response to His great and amazing love toward us.
We see this identical pattern in the book of Ephesians. In the first three chapters, the apostle writes about the amazing wonders of the Lord’s grace, love, and mercy toward us as believers. It’s only then that he beseeches his readers to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1). We respond in such a way because of what the Lord has already done for us.
The Lord never uses the coming period of His wrath upon the earth as a reason to serve Him; instead, He promises to deliver us from it (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, 5:1-11).
On the other hand, how is it possible that the prospect of enduring the horrors at the start of the Tribulation, followed by almost certain martyrdom, motivates anyone to walk closer with the Lord?
It Fails the Test of Human Experience
The complacency argument against those of us who adhere to the pre-Tribulation Rapture also fails the very test upon which it’s based, that of human experience.
I’m acquainted with the teachings and writings of many people who look for Jesus’ imminent appearing, and every one of them, without exception, longs to see people come to saving faith in Jesus and reaches out to those in need around them.
The vast majority of those who watch for Jesus’ imminent appearing are anything but complacent in their walk with the Lord.
C.S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity, wrote the following about how throughout history, a focus on eternity has been the prime motivator for the saints to bring others to saving faith and to care for the welfare of others:
If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since because Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.
As far as I know, Lewis didn’t believe in a pre-Tribulation Rapture. However, his words dispel the argument that a focus on the hereafter causes one to become complacent in this life. It has precisely the opposite impact on those who watch for the Lord’s appearing. It motivates us all the more as we see the day of our homegoing approaching.
The complacency argument against the pre-Tribulation Rapture not only fails the test of God’s Word, but it also falls far short in the arena in which it is based, that of human experience.
-Jonathan