Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
AWAKE O ZION!
peared words like love, joy, loyalty. The more they sang, the
larger their hearts became. Eventually these all joined to form
one great heart with the words: ‘The Fulness of God’. The
people now laughed and wept freely together. Some crept to
the outside but those of the one heart drew them in and knelt
at their feet. Some of these joined the oneness but others
fled away into the darkness.
The Spirit was working in our depths. Many who once felt
rejection and loneliness now wept it all out. It was hardly
surprising that the jazzy choruses were giving way to gentle
worship and songs that expressed the longings of the soul.
At Ashburnham, the instruments would lead into spiritual
singing. Then individuals sang or improvised on their instruments.
Alan’s old busking partner would pour his heart out
on the electric guitar. Once he’d lived like a tramp, addicted
to cough medicine. Now he sang in the courts of the King. At
times a sense of the preciousness and depth of Zion spread
over the assembly like liquid gold. We were learning to break
open our hearts and release the fragrance of Jesus.
But what did the staff at Ashburnham make of it all? For
one young woman, meeting the Jesus Fellowship in full flight
was quite an experience:
What struck me was the difference. It wasn’t just a conference.
It was more like a life force! These people just flowed out. I felt
I was coming in out of the cold and suddenly there’s this massive
great bonfire. And I was being slowly defrosted! I stopped
swearing and forgot to use make-up. But the biggest surprise
was when it suddenly dawned on me that I wanted to be holy.
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