God has given me two wonderful children and they both are blessed with amazing talents. My 14-year-old daughter receives vivid dreams that she is able to remember and also has been gifted beautiful artistic talents. She often paints pictures related to scriptures or Jesus and sets them to the side. I'll ask her "Who is that painting for?" and she'll respond, "I don't know I just felt like painting it." She accumulates a small stack of paintings and when a person comes to her mind, she will give them one.
When my mother-in-law was ill and near death, we all went to be by her bedside to say our goodbyes. It was a very heartbreaking experience as she was unresponsive, and we were sure this was the last time we'd see her on Earth. I pulled a random scripture from my phone and told my daughter to go read it to her. She took my phone and held her Granny’s hand and pushed through tears as she read the scripture of the Good Shepherd. We spent the day praying over my mother-in-law, touching her, talking to her, letting her know how much we loved her. The next day when we went to see her, we were all in complete shock to see that she was alert and responsive to our questions. Each day she seemed to get better and better.
Later in the week my daughter pulled out one of her paintings and said, "I think I'll give this one to Granny." It was a painting of Jesus in a field of sheep. He was guiding them through a pasture, he was the Good Shepherd. I asked my daughter if she remembered the Bible verse that she read to her Granny as she held her hand. She said yes it was John 10. She looked down at the picture she had painted months before, and her eyes grew big, and she said, "Oh my gosh mom, this is the scripture I read!" I know that nothing in life is a coincidence.
A couple of weeks later my daughter told me about a dream she had. It was a short dream and she said it was of her in a completely black area with her Bible open to the first page of the Book of John. She said when she looked at the page it read like a dictionary and then she got the words John 30 and that was the end of the dream. I looked up John 1:30; This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ Here John is giving his testimony that this is Jesus, and he is "God's Chosen One."
I decided that during this time the book of John must be something that the Lord wants me read and I have come to some very important revelations that I would like to share.
Test all spirits and do not be deceived. How do we do this? 1 John 4:1-6
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
As long as we know and have God’s love in us, there is absolutely NOTHING to fear. 1 John 4:16-19
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.
Faith is victory over the corruption and evil of the world. 1 John 5:4-5
For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
Use discernment and stay away from idols 1 John 5:20-21
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
The final verse says “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (John 21-25) We also know that Jesus told us we would do greater things than He and that we can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens us. So, during what seems uncertain times understand that you can turn to God and know with certainty that everything will be fine as long as you keep your faith in Jesus and what God has promised.