While praying today, the Lord opened a beautiful vision to me. I found myself in a very long hallway and at the opposite far end of this hallway was a fireplace burning in a room. I began to walk down the corridor and saw blank canvases hanging in a row all autographed by an artist named Jesus.

EMPTY CANVASES I was fuddled and wondered why anyone would hang up empty canvases autographed by the artist as if they were works of genuine art. As I progressed down the hall I began to see a few lines here and there on some of the painting but could not make out any figures or face.

As I continued down the corridor the paintings began to take shape. I began to see faces and outlines and figures of people. All were lovingly autographed with the signature of Jesus.

At last, magnificent charcoal sketches began to appear and I could make out whole faces. These sketches were stunning in their detail and beauty. I kept walking, pausing to admire the masterpieces when suddenly colors began to appear in the paintings. There were a few splashes of color here and there but the amount kept increasing with each step. These half-finished paintings were even more haunting in their beauty than the charcoal sketches.

A FEW BRUSH STROKES MISSING As I neared the end of the corridor the paintings were almost complete. Some merely lacked a few brush strokes to be finished and all were indescribably exquisite. The had all been painted by a Master.

Then I entered what I immediately understood to be the family room.

There were glorious completed portraits of people from every kindred and tongue, people and nation hanging everywhere. They made up a mural of the grace of God and, by comparison, made the Mona Lisa look like bad street graffiti. Over the roaring hearth was a life-size portrait of Jesus that seemed to glow, lighting up the room.

What really struck me was how every painting in the room (and those nearly completed ones in the hall) could look so different from each other but still look like Jesus. There was a definite family resemblance in each portrait that looked like Jesus.

THE HOLY SPIRIT QUIETLY ASKED ME A QUESTION As the vision ended, I felt the Holy Spirit quietly ask me a question, "Child, where would you like your portrait hung?"

Then I understood the vision. Those at the beginning of the hall were those who had trusted Jesus as Savior but then wouldn't let him touch them again. The whole hall was a picture of people who had progressed to various places of their sanctification and then stopped and refused to go any further with God. Some were hung so close to the family room it was a heartache to see them outside in the corridor. They were almost redone and transformed into the image of Jesus.

ALL PORTRAITS BELONGED TO JESUS--EACH WERE HIS All the portraits were indeed autographed by Jesus and each was his.

Those in the family room were those who had fully yielded their lives by always saying "Yes" to him when he asked - whatever he asked. This is not a picture of salvation by works but of the people bowing their wills to God and walking his narrow way - who had lived their lives to please Him alone.

The Lord was asking me if I would go all the way and let him paint his masterpiece in me. He calls us to be transformed into the image of his dear Son. The Christian landscape is littered with what Jesus referred to as 'half-finished towers', people who started well but then somewhere along the way got hurt, offended, or just began to drift away.

I looked at the blank canvases, the babes in Christ who wouldn't grow up, and realize that I have indeed let God touch me many times. A holy fear fell on me as I contemplated being hung up as a half-finished or even nearly finished masterpiece. I've grown faint and weary with trails and have been tempted to just quit. After seeing the faces of those who had quit in the portraits, I determined anew to run the race set before me, finish the course, and hear, "Well done, you good and faithful servant." I want my finished portrait hanging in the family room so I can dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Child of God, where do you want your portrait hung?