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Squeezing into the Kingdom of God
| Bro Raphael Aimo (North Nyanza, Kenya)
J
esus said to his disciples, “Truly I say to
you that it is hard for a rich man to enter
into the kingdom of heaven, and again I say
to you it is easier for a camel to go through
the eye of a needle’s eye than for a rich man
to enter into the kingdom of God.” When the
disciples heard it, they were surprised,
saying, “Who then can be saved?” (Matthew
19:23-25).
The needle gate was the small gate in a city
wall through which only people could walk.
For a camel to go through, it had to kneel
down after having all its baggage unloaded,
and even then it could only just squeeze
through. We should shed our own wealth and
thoughts, and humble ourselves if we are to
enter the kingdom, “Enter in by the narrow
gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the
way that leads to destruction, and many are
they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the
gate and straight is the road that leads to
life, but few are they that find it” (Matthew
7:13).
Pictured above: Brothers and Sisters at the Bible
School for North Nyanza Area at Bro James Milwanda’s
home after the Memorial Service. Bro Raphael Aimo is
on the left, while Bro Milwanda is third from the left.
Giving Christ His Titles
| Bro Lazarus Kingoo (Yatta, Kenya)
G
iving Christ his titles is one of the ingre-
dients when making our prayers to our
Father powerful. Let us bear in mind the
titles of Christ and use them with full
meaning. Christ’s full name is: The Lord Jesus
Christ. He attained the titles attached to his
name on his resurrection. In preaching to the
Jews, Peter declared: “Therefore let all the
house of Israel know assuredly that God
made that same Jesus, whom ye have cruci-
fied, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). It is
pleasing to hear the full name and titles of
the Lord used in prayer.
Jesus signifies ‘Yah shall save’ and proclaims
his mission as Saviour. Christ is the Greek
form of ‘Anointed’ and implies the wonderful
unity between him and the Father, by which
he was enabled to overcome and through
which he was clothed upon with divine
nature. Lord is ‘Master’ or ‘Owner’. It states
his pre-eminence over the ecclesia.
The prayer acknowledges the full measure of
his mission, his unity with his Father, and his
status over the ecclesia. Paul recommended
that prayers be offered “unto God the
Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”
(Ephesians 5:20). We cannot improve on that
manner of approach.