Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
its manifestations of laughter, shaking and falling, has been
with us. Other strands of revival have been emerging. New
fires are beginning to burn. Churches are stirring! The saving
of souls, signs and wonders, and church-building revival
mark these days. A Jesus movement, at grassroots level, is
gathering momentum.
Fire in Our Hearts is the record of a growing community
church which has seen the reviving activity of the Holy Spirit
through the years. It is intended to be honest and open. Christian
biography and history is often triumphalistic. Our two
authors determined to ‘tell it as it is’ including struggles and
disappointments. I believe it is a balanced record.
So you will read here of traumas and triumphs. Laughter
and tears mingle together. The baptism of power brings also
the baptism of suffering. The call has ever been to sacrifice,
to tread the way of the cross. The church cannot be built without
pain, pressure and persecution. The Jesus Fellowship/Jesus
Army has been shaped by the free grace of God and by
the unwavering commitment, whatever the cost, of a large
body of pioneers. It has been a learning experience and sadly
some have got hurt as we pressed forward to capture the
vision.
In 1968 Michael Harper, then of the Fountain Trust, wrote
a booklet called The Baptism of Fire. The charismatic movement
was gathering momentum. The Fire was spreading. In
that year, with a mixture of eagerness and trepidation, I read
and heard of numerous people in non-Pentecostal churches
receiving the baptism of the Spirit, speaking in tongues and
bubbling with holy joy. I learned that the laying on of hands
brought power and healing to people. I heard of demons be-
14