Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
AWAKE O ZION!
ver lamb had been slain to take a people from Egypt, so Jesus
had covenanted in his blood to take a people from the world,
and make them one heart and soul.
One old hymn became a favourite at this time: ‘Twixt Jesus
and the chosen race, Subsists a bond of sovereign grace...’
‘You know, bro,’ said Pete Matt to Noel one morning, ‘when
I see these young folk singing old hymns about the covenant
— the amazing thing is, they understand them!’
It was true. The freaks had come a long way from Jesus
shouts, long hair and hippy placards. The straights had come
even further from their British independence! We were discovering
the powerful realities of covenant brotherhood. Towards
the end of the fortnight we stood up to pledge our loyalty
to God and one another.
‘Let King Jesus reign!’ we shouted, echoing the cry of the
Scottish Covenanters. We admired their zeal for brotherhood,
but not for war! We determined to follow God, and stand for
the precious truths of covenant and community.
By November we had purchased a builders yard in Towcester
and created Towcester Building Supplies. Another house was
opened in nearby Pattishall and renamed Festal Grange. We
were in a confident mood. Steve ‘Faithful’s’ dad, Lionel, captured
these events in heroic metre:
What promise lies within this regal place?
This home of kings, this ‘palace’ of God’s art,
Where each true member of this chosen race,
Will, for his brother, purify his heart.
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