At the same time, other Christians see God only in terms of His righteousness and holiness – a harsh ruler who demands grovelling subservience, and is just waiting with His lump of four-by-two to crack us over the head should we dare to set one hairy toe over the line that He has drawn. This picture is equally a caricature, and not at all representative of the great God of compassion, mercy and love.

In truth, God is righteous and holy, and He demands that we should also be so. He is the King of the universe, but He is also our Abba, Daddy, and delights to bring us into a tender and intimate relationship with Himself.

I have experienced the fear of God – and no, I don’t mean “reverential awe”, which is something else entirely. Perhaps I will write about it in my next post, just to balance this one. And yes, at times I have been “smacked” by God (and deserved it.) But I have also had “kisses from Daddy” – those precious little things that God does for us that go way beyond meeting a need or answering a prayer, and are simply an expression of His love to us. Those are what I want to talk about today.

Even though I have had some wonderful experiences with the Lord, I had never really thought in terms of “kisses from Daddy” till the last few weeks. I have just come back from a holiday with my family in Queensland. The first two days there I attended a Bill Johnson conference in Brisbane (I love Bill’s ministry, and was delighted to be able to experience it in person, rather than just by recording.) Because of the distance and time factor in getting through to Brisbane’s northern suburbs from my son’s home on the northern Gold Coast, I arranged to stay for the two nights of the conference with a friend just outside of Redcliffe.

Getting to the conference on the first day was quite a hike – very early train from the Gold Coast, then a bus to Everton Park, then almost a kilometre walk to the church. By the time I arrived I was very much hoping that someone would be able to give me a lift to either the station or a bus stop in the afternoon.

Seats had been reserved for the pastors, but after I had been directed to mine another couple came along who should have had reserved seats, but for some reason had not been put on the list. There were a couple of spare seats near me, so the organiser put them there. As we started talking, it turned out that they were from Redcliffe … so I ended up with a lift not just to the bus stop or train station, but right to my friend’s door! That night I found myself thinking, “That was a kiss from Daddy!” Special, unnecessary, extravagant – it was a delightful expression of Abba’s love to me.

Next morning I realised that I had miscalculated when I drew spending money out of the bank. My pay would be in the account that morning, but there was no opportunity to draw any out before the day’s sessions began, which meant that I did not have enough cash to both buy lunch and pay my fare back to Sandgate station, where my friend had arranged to meet me. Oh well, I thought, it really wouldn’t hurt me to miss lunch for one day.

During the morning break I was talking to one of the ladies. After asking where I was from, she went on to ask how I had got to the venue. I explained that my friend had driven me there in the morning, but I was going to have to find my way back to Sandgate station for her to pick me up in the afternoon. No problem, said my new acquaintance, she could take me to Sandgate – in fact, she could take me even closer than that, if my friend could just meet us on the Brisbane side of the Redcliffe bridge. Another kiss from Daddy – and one that meant I would be able to buy lunch.

Daddy, however, had yet another kiss for me that day – at lunchtime the same lady came up, grabbed my hand and said, “Come on! I want to buy you lunch!” I was overwhelmed at God’s goodness to me.

About that time I started thinking that I really should begin to consciously look for Daddy kisses. I’m sure we all receive many of them, but often miss the fullness of the blessing because we don’t recognise them for what they are. Instead we put them down to just people’s kindness, or sometimes just to luck (the former is certainly part of the equation; the latter has absolutely nothing to do with it.) If we can see God’s hand behind the kind deed, the gentle word or the friendly smile – and behind the glorious sunset, the sweet birdsong or the magnificent rainbow – then I’m sure it will draw us even closer into that wonderful, intimate relationship with Him. Also, as we respond in thankfulness for Daddy’s kisses, our faith increases. Surely, if He does these small, unexpected, unimportant things for us, then He is also both willing and able to meet our big needs when they arise.

Last Friday I had another Daddy Kiss delivered through a person. I was doing a fundraising appeal day in one of our nearby small shopping plazas. It was a bitterly cold day (Victoria is still in winter) and my spot was right next to the front door, where icy breezes entered with every person who came into the centre. When I do appeal days like this, I deliberately don’t take much of my own money, and what I had with me didn’t add up to enough for a cup of coffee (I had taken a cut lunch.) Half way through the morning, one of the girls from the cake shop opposite where I was sitting came over and asked, “Would you like a cup of coffee?” Would I ever! She delivered a steaming brew – and a donut! – and late in the afternoon brought me another cup of coffee.

Some people picture God as tight fisted – willing to meet our needs (barely), but not willing to give us our “wants”, and definitely not to go anywhere beyond that. I want to challenge you to become deliberately aware of the extravagant kisses He showers upon you all the time – things He does not because you need them, or even want them, but simply as an expression of His love for you and His desire to draw you into intimacy with Him.

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

The Letters section of our local newspaper has recently carried an ongoing debate about evolution versus creation. In one sense I can understand where the evolutionists are coming from. When I was in high school, we were taught the theory of evolution as if it were proven, indisputable fact. I clearly remember, when I first went to Bible College, being utterly horrified to discover that there were actually intelligent people in the world who did not believe in evolution. It was only as I began to look at the science behind creationism that I began to see just how full of holes the theory of evolution is.

Now, I wonder how I – or anyone else – could have ever had the faith to believe such a crazy theory.

In summary, the evolutionary theory of the beginning of the world goes like this: Once there was nothing. Nothing became something. Then that something exploded and became everything.

Yeah, right.

It reminds me of a story I heard one time – I’m not sure if it was true, or just a kind of modern parable. A doctor who was a creationist had a friend who was an evolutionist. One day the evolutionist came to see the doctor. On his desk was a wonderful, intricate sculpture. The evolutionist admired it from all sides. “What a wonderful piece!” he said. “Who made it?” With a slight smile, the doctor replied, “Oh, nobody made it. It just happened over millions of years.”

The only way I could even begin to accept such nonsense is if I absolutely refused to believe in the existence of a Creator, and needed something – anything! – to replace Him. And that is exactly why many evolutionists embrace this theory. Some have even gone as far as to admit that the theory is incredibly shaky, but since the only alternative is to believe in God, they would rather cling to the shaky theory.

The alternative, creationism, says that the eternal, infinite, omnipotent and omniscient God one day decided to make some stuff. Simple. Elegant. Logical.

But of course, if you acknowledge that God created the universe, that means that He also created you, and that in turn means that He has a claim on your life. If you can suspend common sense long enough to believe that “it all just happened”, then your existence is the result of blind chance, your life has no purpose or meaning, and you are not accountable to anyone. Good luck with that!

As for me – I just don’t have enough faith to embrace the belief system (a.k.a. “religion”) known as evolutionism. I find it far simpler – and far more intellectually satisfying – to simply stand in awe and say, “My Daddy made that! He’s so clever!”

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)

Maybe you have received a word from someone, and are not sure whether to accept it. Or maybe you think you have heard from God about something, but want to be sure that it really is God.

These guidelines will help you to check out prophetic words, words of knowledge or words of wisdom that you believe you have received personally from God, that have been given to you as a personal word by somebody else, or that are spoken out in the congregation.

1. Does it line up with Scripture?

God is the author of both Scripture and a true prophetic word. (2 Tim 3:16., 2 Pet 1:20) He does not change, and will not say something different in prophecy to what He has already said in His word. If someone gives you a “prophecy” which tells you to do something that God forbids in His Word, you can be sure it is not God.

2. Does it line up with the character of God?

Sometimes something can line up with the letter of the Word, but is contrary to the character of God – e.g. it is harsh, unloving or unjust. The letter kills, but the Spirit (who embodies God’s character) gives life (2 Cor 3:6.)

3. Does it line up with my own spirit?

As New Covenant believers we have the Spirit of God living within us. It is His job to communicate the things of God to us. (Jn 14:26). Prophecy simply confirms, or occasionally prepares us for, God’s word to our own spirit. If it does not strike a chord with our spirit, we should throw it out.

Even if it is a word of rebuke which we chose not to accept because we don’t want to know about it, if it is of God we will know in our spirit that it is true.

4. Is it true?

God is a God of truth. He does not lie, exaggerate, or fiddle with truth. If it is not true, it is not God. Likewise, if a “prophecy” appears to assume something about us that we know in our hearts is not true, although others looking at us from the outside might think it is true, then that word is not from God. He knows our hearts, and judges us according to what is within us, not according to external appearances. (1 Samuel 16:7)

5. Is it profitable?

Unlike the devil, God is not interested in tickling our curiousity. Nor is He interested in showing off His knowledge or anything else. He does not need to prove a thing to anyone. If a word is true but irrelevant, chances are it came from a psychic source not God.

6. If a time frame is given, does it come to pass in the time frame?

Deut 18:22. God knows when He plans to do things. If a prophetic word says, “Today I will do such-and-such,” and by 1 minute past midnight tomorrow morning such-and-such has not happened, it was not God. If a time frame is implied (eg personal prophecies imply that what is spoken will happen in the person’s lifetime) it must happen within that implied time frame.

However, if no specific time frame (particularly in relation to what God is going to do in and through your life) don’t think it’s going to happen tomorrow. Put it on the back burner and let God cook it properly!

7. Where is it leading me/us?

Deut 13:1-5. A word might meet all the above criteria, yet still be from the pit of hell to lead us away from God. Acts 16:16-18. We need to ask, “If I take this into my spirit, will it bring me closer to God or take me away from Him?”

8. What is the spirit behind it?

Let’s look more closely at the Scripture in Acts 16:16-18. It would seem to pass the first 5 tests above. Did it line up with Scripture? Yes, the Apostles were proclaiming the Christ whose coming fills the pages of the Old Testament. Did it line up with the character of God? Yes, it was certainly according to God’s character that those listening should hear the way of salvation. Did it line up with the Apostles’ own spirits? It surely must have, for they knew who they were and to what they were called. Was it true? Yes! Was it profitable? Yes!

Many Christians today would be delighted to receive such a word, and would readily accept it as from the Lord. Yet for all that, Paul knew that this was not a prophecy from God. How? He had the spiritual discernment to recognize the spirit behind it. If it had been allowed to go unchallenged, the focus would have been taken off the message that Paul and his companions were bringing, and placed instead upon this woman as a “wonderful prophet.” Worse, it would soften up the hearers to receive other words from her – words which would have undoubtedly been just the opposite of the Gospel.

When God is active, the devil is also active in imitation and deception. Like Paul in this Scripture, we need the gift of discerning of spirits to recognize what spirit is active behind any spiritual activity.

This blog is © copyright Lynn Fowler.

There is one God, and one mediator between God and people, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5)in Whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form (Colossians 2:9)and Whom God the Father has exalted to the highest place, giving Him the Name which is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11)