Many characters in the Bible had name changes that reflected their encounters with and the promises of God. Abram (‘exalted father’) became Abraham (‘father of many nations‘), seeing the promises of God to him fulfilled through the miraculous birth of Isaac. Jacob, the wily deceiver, became Israel after his night-time wrestling match with God (Gen 32). Simon became Peter (the rock); Saul became Paul. Our lives are transformed by God’s presence and we are given new purpose and hope.

Our new identity as God’s people is to be called by God’s name. The name of Jesus, as those first disciples knew, was powerful. They prayed ‘in the name of Jesus’:Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ (Acts 4:30) They proclaimed healing in the name of Jesus: ‘In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ (Acts 3:6) When Peter went on to explain to the crowds what had happened to this lame man who was now jumping and praising God, he said, ‘By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.’ (Acts 3:16) Baptism was in the name of Jesus. (Acts 10:48) Church governance and judgments were made in the name of Jesus. (1 Cor 5:3) Praising and thanksgiving were done in the name of Jesus. (Eph 5:20) Paul recognised that the name of Jesus had power in all spiritual realms and declared ‘that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. (Phil 2:10) We are no longer bound to our old name, to our old way of living, to the sin life that used to dominate us. We are God’s new creation (2 Cor 5:17); we have God’s nature now living in us by His Holy Spirit. (Rom 6:1-13)

The characteristic of all who are called by name is to trust God and have faith in Him. This is seen clearly in Genesis 22, when God puts Abraham to the test in asking him to sacrifice his son of promise. If Isaac were killed, how could Abraham be the father of many nations? But by faith, he trusted God to answer that question and solve the problem, which God did, through the provision of a ram. We are called to have the same trusting faith as Abraham and to live out our new family name everywhere we go.

Book in to our 3 fun days during the school holidays, all held at Goldthorpe Railway Embankment and the Salvation Army. We’ll be doing a range of indoor and outdoor crafts, activities and trails, with free lunch and drinks provided. Book in now by contacting Julie on 07729 421405 or emailing julie@gpcchurch.co.uk to help with catering.

We’ll be looking at how to live wisely and well through our words, actions and relationships – you’d be wise to book in now! Come to all 3 days or just book the one(s) you’re around for!

Holy rebellion is seen throughout the Bible: the midwives’ refusal to follow Pharaoh’s edict to kill all Hebrew boys (Ex 1), the refusal of Moses’s mother to kill him at birth, the lies of Rahab which saved the spies’ lives, the disobedience of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in placing God’s laws above the king’s. This kind of holy disobedience can be unpopular and have terrible personal consequences, as many discovered during the Second World War (e.g. Corrie Ten Boom and her sister who shielded Jews from the Nazis.) But as the apostles proved, we follow a God who is clear about our allegiance to Him mattering more than any other allegiance.

In the West, we have often associated society with the church, but the truth is that the church is called to be holy and distinct from the society around us. We are in the world but not of the world. (See John 17). May we have the courage of those first believers to stand for God over and above our fit in society

“On the 13th May by the grace of God, the tailoring graduation was a wonderful blessing. All the women were overjoyed and deeply thankful to receive their sewing machines. Many of them were moved to tears as they testified about how God has transformed their lives during these six months of training.

We witnessed the Lord answering many prayers and bringing peace, hope, and positive changes within their homes and families. Especially among several widows who were going through very difficult situations while living with their in-laws, we have seen God working miracles and changing circumstances in beautiful ways.

It was truly encouraging to see the hand of God moving in their lives and surrounding communities.”

We will be sending £600 to support the work of Fredrick and Reeba this month and are so pleased to hear of the success of their hard work.

I admire physical strength and realise that this is built up through practice, determination and a lot of hard work.

God, however, works in ways that often seem counter-intuitive to what we see in the natural world. We often feel we must work hard, plan hard and organise well in order to know God’s blessing, and there’s nothing wrong with those things. Zechariah said, however, that it’s ‘not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit’ in God’s kingdom. (Zech 4:6)

God moves by His Spirit in ways that seem ridiculous to us – how could a bunch of people speaking foreign languages and appearing drunk be the start of the church!?! (Acts 2) How can the move of God as wind and fire really change the world? Yet Pentecost shows us that when God moves, great things happen, things beyond our wildest dreams, things beyond our planning and programmes. (Eph 3:20)

We need the Holy Spirit to breathe on us, to inspire us, to work through us. Crazy times require crazy people – people filled with the Spirit of God who dare to believe God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine

Wind is chaotic, however, often bringing debris and disrupting normal life in its wake. We must be prepared for God to bring mess into our lives, to disrupt our routines and plans, to surprise us! That first Pentecost looked bewildering to people – others speaking in foreign languages, people appearing to be drunk. God cannot be fitted into our human-made boxes. He is in control, and when He moves by His Spirit, we must make room for Him!

Fire is fuel. Rom 12:11-12 reminds us that we need to keep our spiritual fervour, not losing zeal as we serve God. Eph 5:18-20 reminds us of the need to be filled and re-filled with the Spirit; we need His burning energy in us to keep us afloat! God wants to fill us so that we soar above (Eph 2:6) and can witness to His goodness and compassion (see Ps 116:1-7). Pentecost is not just about a historical event (though we remember this with gladness.) It is an ongoing experience as we allow God to fill us and break all chains that tie us earth. It’s time to soar like a hot air balloon!