THE MYSTERY OF “LIFTING UP”

So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole: and so it was, as if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived; Numbers 21:9 (NKJV)

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so MUST the Son of man be lifted up. That whatsoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life; John 3:14-15.

And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto Me. John 12:32.

From the word of God, I have come to know that whatever is lifted up generates a powerful spiritual attraction. The devil knows this also, and his agents are daily engaging this spiritual force to destroy humanity.

Have you observed that cigarettes are often times advertised on the best billboards in town? Did you notice also that every billboard carries a doctor’s warning: “Smokers are liable to die young”? Have you ever wondered why people still smoke in spite of the warning? Well, the reason is simply because whatever is lifted up generates a powerful spiritual attraction. It is unfortunate that the children of the world understand and engage this fact more than the children of the kingdom.

Throughout my early life and as a teenage boy, the only toothpaste I used was Macleans. Why? Because of the ever-abiding radio jingle then: “BE successful, be important, use Macleans toothpaste”! it wasn’t until several years after, that I came to know that Macleans has absolutely nothing to do with success in life.

Whenever falsehood is exalted, the people are deceived or even corrupted. To state that alcohol is the ultimate source of joy and enjoyment is a lie of the devil. Smoking of any brand of cigarette would not bring any lasting relief to any one as the advertisers claim: It is in fact one of the tools the enemy uses to kill and to destroy its victims (John 10:10).

Without any doubt, Moses must have used the longest pole

 he could lay his hand upon to lift up the bronze serpent, that

is the only way the three million Jews scattered in the wilderness would see it from any location. Whenever they were bitten by the by the live snakes of brass also must be quite sizeable so that it would be visible to them all form of any angle. Now let’s read the Master’s declaration again:

John 3:14-15, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so MUST the Son of man be lifted up: That whatsoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

The above scripture is not about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ as one would be tempted to believe. No, not so, particularly if Jesus is to be lifted up as Moses lifted up the serpent.  Jesus was on the cross just for a few hours, but Moses lifted up the serpent for as long as the plague remained with the Jews in the wilderness. Please go back and read the scripture again and you will discover that the import of this message is that Jesus must be exalted and lifted up prominently before all men until the faith for salvation is established in their hearts, so ‘that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life’. Jesus still desires to terminate the plagues in people’s lives today, He wants to save sinners but He must first be lifted up and then believed.

Faith, we are told in Romans 10 verse 17 comes by hearing and hearing… this is not just a scriptural principle, it is a universal law: what you see repeatedly, you will most likely, eventually believe. This is even more so with the people of the world whose unwritten motto is “Seeing is believing”.

If the children of God will catch this revelation and start lifting Jesus Christ up on every conceivable and available medium, we would run the devil out of business in no time, Hallelujah.

That age-long chorus that we sing, often-times absent-mindedly, describes the most effective key to world evangelism!

Lift Jesus higher, lift Jesus higher

Lift Him high for the world to see

He said if I be lifted up from the earth

I will draw all men unto me.

Can you imagine what would happen if we prayerfully install 100 giant billboards in Lagos city and its environs in one swoop? And the billboards are all proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ? And declaring why He came and what He did? And announcing all the redemption benefits available to anyone who will believe and receive Him?

I know what will happen if this is done:

• Satan will be embarrassed,
• His demons will be confounded,
• His human agents would gnash their teeth and wring their nose in confusion.
• Jesus will swing into action
• The Holy Spirit will start convicting and drawing men into His kingdom.
• Rejoicing and celebration will erupt in heaven, and
• God will rain down the best of His rewards on His children who are doing His good pleasure.

This is what will happen; and it will happen very shortly too.

This will happen, not only in Lagos, but in also Abuja. It will happen in Sokoto, and it will happen in Port Harcourt. It will happen in towns and cities across Nigeria.

Then the fire will spread to other nations, and God’s glory will come down like never before, upon all nations, until it eventually covers the whole world as the waters covers the seas, (Hab. 2:14) Amen.

 ‘Lifting Him up’ is not limited to billboards; Jesus can also be lifted up on the pages of newspapers and newsmagazines; He can be exalted on the radio and television through jingles and other unique programmes. The internet offers unlimited opportunities for lifting up the name of Jesus. Jesus can even be advertised on everyday-things such as shopping polybags, matchbox, biro, pens, etc. God’s children can come out on a certain day in their millions to “march for Jesus, sing His praise and tell the world of His wondrous works”.

The gospel truth is that if Jesus is lifted up for the world to see, He will draw all men unto Himself.