Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
ON THE MARCH
Noel suggested we sing ‘The Lord reigns’! We booed and
clapped. Revival had done little for his corny humour. Verna
played the organ under a wet towel and we sang, ‘When I
survey the wondrous cross’. Many knelt in the puddles as the
tears mingled with the rain. That day everyone was soaked
and the brothers went off with half the Hall’s spare jeans!
Noel was ready for action. ‘Faith works with God!’ he wrote
on the notice sheet. ‘Faith carries the gospel of grace and
sinks it in the souls of men. Faith is active courage, a flame of
holy fire! Faith yearns, prays, receives. Faith blazes, glows,
burns! Faith dares, fights, wins! It embraces every trial as a
friend. Faith is visionary. It heals the sick, casts out demons,
raises the dead! Faith sees the kingdom and will not rest until
“Jerusalem is a praise in all the earth!”’
It was now June and all systems were go. Among us Jesus
85 had been forecast as a year of Pentecost, Pioneering and
Peoplehood. In Jesus 84 we had been in large meetings most
of the time. Jesus 85 was to be grass-roots again. This meant
pioneering evangelism from small teams and ‘Spirit-anointed
initiatives’ which would operate on five levels.
First there were servant groups. We had 150 of them (not
yet 200!) and the target was for one new member in each.
‘Do you have the explosive power of Pentecost?’ wrote Noel.
‘Are you soul-winners?’
Second, Jesus Pilgrims would travel around for up to a week
using a Jesus People caravan.
Third, Fire Teams would live in an area for two or three
months to evangelise, gather or plant.
Fourth, Beachfire Teams would go out to the holiday resorts.
‘The crowded beaches are fields white to harvest,’ wrote
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