When once Jesus was asked, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” He answered saying, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able,” (Luke 13:24). On another occasion, He was more explicit about the issue when He said, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it,” (Matthew 7:13-14).
While striving (by the help of the Holy Spirit) to walk the difficult way (because it is contrary to the ways of the world and fallen Man) in order to enter ‘life’, God, many times and in diverse ways, encourages us to ‘keep on keeping on’. This encouragement oftentimes comes when someone passes on and God in no uncertain terms lets us know that that individual made it and is with Him in heaven.
A few weeks ago on 27th October, a very wonderful lady, Dr. Carol Onyango Makumbi, passed on. Upon receiving this news, Bridget, who is one of Carol’s close friends, failed to go to sleep because of sorrow. She stayed awake for a greater part of the night praying in tongues. When she later managed to fall asleep, God gave her a wonderful, comforting, and encouraging dream. Here is the dream in Bridget’s words:
I was telling someone that Carol had just passed away, and I was planning to go for the burial. While we talked, I saw Carol! She was walking out of a building that I knew was a headmaster’s office. I could perceive that she had cleared with the headmaster before she could be admitted for the new school term. Carol was strikingly very smart; she wore a white dress with golden stripes around the waist. She looked exceedingly happy and very healthy. Because I knew she had passed on, in my heart I was like, “What are you doing here?” I actually asked her what her burial plans were! She told me she did not know when she was going to be buried, but she would be at the funeral. Then I awoke.
Carol is definitely in heaven. She cleared with God (the headmaster) and was therefore allowed into heaven (the school) to begin a new and eternal life (new school term). Carol will therefore live with Jesus forever and ever. Hallelujah!
This dream by which God was evidently telling Bridget that Carol made it through the “narrow gate” into heaven should really encourage us to keep walking the difficult path that leads to eternal life. Although the world in which we live has the Devil as its god and therefore its ways are ever in opposition to us, we still can make it to heaven. Carol did, just like many other faithful Christians; so can we. You see, “He (Jesus) who is in you is greater that he (the Devil) who is in the world,” (1 John 4:4). For that reason, we are able to overcome the world and its lusts, just like Carol did. And if we do so, then we shall “enter by the narrow gate”, which sadly eludes the majority and they end up in hell.
So, let us be encouraged by the revelation God gave Bridget concerning where Carol is now. What enabled Carol to go to heaven, we have. We have the Word of God, the help of Holy Spirit, and the testimonies of those who made it. Therefore, as long as we really desire to enter the Kingdom, we shall do so because we are not helpless. Let us strive, by the enablement of the Spirit, to enter the Kingdom. Let us cooperate with the Spirit to walk worthy of our calling as stipulated in the Word of God. And let us be encouraged by the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) - Carol inclusive - that have gone on before us. We, too, shall surely make it into eternal life.
Amen.