Unleashing the Light

A hymn to reflect "Lift Him Up"

How to reach the masses, men of every birth,
For an answer, Jesus gave the key:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
Will draw all men unto Me.”

[Refrain]
Lift Him up, lift Him up;
Still He speaks from eternity:
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
Will draw all men unto Me.”

Oh! the world is hungry for the Living Bread,
Lift the Savior up for them to see;
Trust Him, and do not doubt the words that He said,
“I’ll draw all men unto Me.”

Don’t exalt the preacher, don’t exalt the pew,
Preach the Gospel simple, full, and free;
Prove Him and you will find that promise is true,
“I’ll draw all men unto Me.”

Lift Him up by living as a Christian ought,
Let the world in you the Savior see;
Then men will gladly follow Him Who once taught,
“I’ll draw all men unto Me.”

Written by Johnson Oatman, Jr., the song is based on John 12:32 "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."


At our recent church leadership retreat at Southern Seminary in Louisville, we got some time to go and be by ourselves to listen to God. During this time, I went into one of the chapels and that hymn was going through my head. Then I looked at the blinds to the windows were all down but light was slowly coming through. Then it was like God said, that's you. With the blinds closed, a little light shines through. But if you pull the string, more light can come through. The blinds block out the light. We all have blinds -- fear, shame, inferiority and the list goes on. Who has control of the string? I need to submit control so the Light can shine through. So when the Light shines through, when the Savior is liften up, then men will be drawn unto Christ.

John 12:36a: "Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light."

As I hand over the string, may I continue to walk in the Light and walk in the authority and my original design as a son of the Light.

May you do the same.

Unleased in Christ,

CD