"I knew it! I just knew my whole life that everyone was wrong about me. My parents, my teachers, my friends, the doctors, everyone."
~ Kevin Malone, after being included on (his boss) Robert's "winners" list,
from The Office (NBC)
"Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord {and} of progressively becoming more deeply {and} intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may WIN (gain) Christ (the Anointed One).”
~ Philippians 3:8 AMP
The dream stream that morning resonated with fresh manna from the Picture of Jesus song and a recurring thought fell on my understanding like fresh dew, to only do what I see Him doing, just as Jesus taught. It is not the WWJD thing where I “try” to simulate His behavior and perform accordingly. It is not a feeble “estimation” of self-effort to try and do what He might do if he were in that same situation, but realizing He actually IS in that situation with me and simply letting Him live and move and have His being in and through my life! This is all made possible by beholding the Christ within. Expressing His heart is empowered the more we see what He is doing by the eye of the spirit. The Pattern Son shared how to do this by example. Here’s a cross sample from a few translations of one enlightening verse in the Gospel of John:
John 5:19
So Jesus answered them, "I tell you the solemn truth, the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. (NET)
Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing
of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. (NKJV)
So Jesus explained, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. (NLT)
Proverbs 29:18
When there's no VISION, the people get out of control, but whoever obeys instruction is
happy.
Sonship is all about catching an inner vision of the Father by the Spirit of the Son. This gives God control and makes the obedient person very happy. Envisioning His divine reign within yields the reins of our hearts and is the essence of walking with God in intimacy and obedience. Not only do we receive instruction on what to do but we also partake of His abiding affection toward us. As we watch the images screening internally from the Mind of Christ we get a glimpse of how he feels about His beloved. The first song on my iPod connected to the bridal relationship that is available with God to the believer. The second song brought a deeper epiphany of the Father/Son relationship. Bridal intimacy gives birth to sonship authority.
In the Dylan song it is clear that he is transfixed by her. Check out a few lines excerpted from Visions of Johanna:
" . . . The ghost of ’lectricity howls in the bones of her face
Where these visions of Johanna have now taken my place
Now, little boy lost, he takes himself so seriously
He brags of his misery, he likes to live dangerously
And when bringing her name up He speaks of a farewell kiss to me
He’s sure got a lotta gall to be so useless and all
Muttering small talk at the wall while I’m in the hall
How can I explain?
Oh, it’s so hard to get on
And these visions of Johanna, they kept me up past the dawn
Inside the museums, Infinity goes up on trial
Voices echo this is what salvation must be like after a while
But Mona Lisa musta had the highway blues
You can tell by the way she smiles
See the primitive wallflower freeze
When the jelly-faced women all sneeze
Hear the one with the mustache say, “Jeeze I can’t find my knees”
Oh, jewels and binoculars hang from the head of the mule
But these visions of Johanna, they make it all seem so cruel
The peddler now speaks to the countess who’s pretending to care for him
Sayin’, “Name me someone that’s not a parasite
and I’ll go out and say a prayer for him...”
The name Johanna means “God has been gracious.” Visions of her are all that remain in the narrator’s mind. This song unveils the amazing grace bestowed upon creation by the Creator. Along with this genius ballad being the personal inspiration for the naming of my firstborn child I also see it as a parabolic metaphor for the true Bride of Christ, AKA the “glorious church” (referenced in Eph 5)... The very same Lady “clothed with the sun and standing on the moon”, as described in Revelation 12. Visions of the Lord's Lady, His eternal companion in this divine romance of the ages has kept our narrator up past the dawn. Dylan's phrase: "Voices echo this is what salvation must be like after a while" show his beloved in covenantal union partaking of His wholeness (salvation) throughout time and eternity. Glimpsing her (our) worth and innate value through His eyes is a theme hidden throughout all the wild and seemingly nonsensical images imbedded into the lyrical framework of the song.
As I mentioned, right after hearing Visions on came Ben Harper's Picture of Jesus and I knew the randomness of my iPod shuffle was not as random as one might suppose. One line says: "We long to be a picture of Jesus...& With him we shall be forever blessed..." A vision of how we “win” in this life unfolds as we learn to keep our spiritual eyes fixed on Him! Paul taught that we are actually transfigured into His very same victorious image -- from glory to glory -- as we simply behold Him (reference 2 Cor 3:18). Seeing Jesus is one key to experiencing the kind of transformation that enables us to cross the finishing line as champions. Another key is "having ears to hear" as John instructed all overcomers. See Him writing your name on the winner’s list!
Hebrews 12:1 AMP
THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off {and} throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to {and} entangles us, and let us
run with patient endurance {and} steady {and} active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,
2 Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader {and} the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to
maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising {and} ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Just think of Him Who endured from sinners such grievous opposition {and} bitter hostility against Himself [reckon up and consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you may not grow weary {or} exhausted, losing heart {and} relaxing {and} fainting in your minds..."
Hebrews 12:2
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne. (NLT)
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.. (NIV)
.. looking steadfastly on Jesus the leader and completer of faith: who, in view of the joy lying before him, endured.." (DBY)
The Message paraphrase says it like this:...Start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way."
This month as America endures a terrorist attack at the 2013 Boston Marathon these words ring truer than ever. To complete this long distance race called life we are exhorted to get our eyes off any distractions or adverse circumstances in the natural and behold the supreme Victor of life itself... Our champion Forerunner paid the ultimate price so we can all win the prize!
(KJV) Ephesians 1:17
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him:
18 The EYES of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.
19 And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe.."
Picture of Jesus
(by Ben Harper)
It hangs above my altar
Like they hung
Him from a cross
I keep one in my wallet
For the times I feel lost
In a wooden frame with splinters
Where my family kneels to pray
And if you listen close
You’ll hear the words He used to say
I’ve got a picture of Jesus
In his arms so many prayers rest
We’ve got a picture of Jesus
And with him we shall be forever blessed
Now it has been spoken
He would come again
But would we recognize
This king among men
There was a man in our time
His words shine bright like the sun
He tried to lift the masses
And was crucified by gun
He was a picture of Jesus
With him so many prayers rest
He is a picture of Jesus
In his arms so many prayers rest
With him we shall be forever blessed
Some days have no beginning
And some days have no end
Some roads are straight and narrow
And some roads only bend
So let us say a prayer
For every living thing
Walking towards a light
From the cross of a King
We long to be a picture of Jesus
In his arms so many prayers rest
I long to be a picture of Jesus
With him we shall be forever blessed