Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
CITY ON A HILL
thority’ (Tit 2:15) and to ‘help the weak and be patient with
everyone’ (1 Thess 5:14). The balance between prophetic ministry
and the shepherd’s heart can be difficult to find!
Whilst some of our leaders were too fond of the rule book
and needed bigger hearts, others were all for joy and liberty
but needed the balance of holy discipline.
A few felt that Noel’s strong ministry was alienating those
it sought to reach. Some reacted angrily to his renewed call
to ‘blood, sweat and tears’, and spoke of the need for ‘grace’.
Noel caught the critical darts, sharpened them, and flung them
back in the form of two new hymns:
I speak of grace to suit my state
Of natural soul desire.
‘It’s all of grace’, I restful cry,
‘Relaxing’ in self’s mire!
‘Holy by faith’ my nature says,
‘I need not will at all!..’
The lawless trend needed purging, and after twelve verses
of pungent irony, anyone who was into being ‘laid back’ felt
pretty uncomfortable!
Reflecting on this time, Val wrote: ‘Often I felt tearfully
grateful for Noel, because no matter how imperfect he may
have been, he was so devoted. Sometimes it seemed there
might be a split between the staunch-discipline, and the graceallow-people-freedom-to-move
leaders. When it came to it, I
knew God would always honour loyalty and covenant.’
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