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Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

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FIRE IN OUR HEARTS THE LORD TOOK HOLD OF BUGBROOKE<br />

ever the youngsters realised they’d found someth<strong>in</strong>g important<br />

and hurried back to tell Noel.<br />

By now Noel was almost ready for God to baptise him <strong>in</strong><br />

the Spirit. ‘Any idea of a second experience,’ he wrote, ‘had<br />

been taught out of me. I now saw the early church had a baptism<br />

of power and I needed to ask for and receive the Spirit.’ 6<br />

Out <strong>in</strong> Africa, Dave had met some Americans who spoke to<br />

him of a second bless<strong>in</strong>g, and the Lord challenged him about<br />

his barrenness. After read<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a book by Cather<strong>in</strong>e Marshall<br />

about surrender<strong>in</strong>g the will to the Lord, he had a real<br />

experience of meet<strong>in</strong>g with God. His prayer life came alive.<br />

He just asked for th<strong>in</strong>gs and ticked them off when the answers<br />

came. By the end of 1968 he was pray<strong>in</strong>g for revival <strong>in</strong><br />

Bugbrooke.<br />

At the close of the annual church meet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> mid-December,<br />

Noel enc<strong>our</strong>aged everyone to ask def<strong>in</strong>itely for the Holy<br />

Spirit accord<strong>in</strong>g to Luke 11:13: ‘If you... know how to give<br />

good gifts to y<strong>our</strong> children, how much more will y<strong>our</strong> Father<br />

<strong>in</strong> heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’<br />

‘I have a text for 1969,’ he added. ‘“With God, all th<strong>in</strong>gs are<br />

possible.” Also this scripture from Ezekiel 34:26: “I will make<br />

them and the places round about my hill a bless<strong>in</strong>g; and...<br />

there shall be showers of bless<strong>in</strong>g”’ (RSV).<br />

With<strong>in</strong> days it came. Noel was pray<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the manse when a<br />

tide of love broke over him and the Spirit came <strong>in</strong> power.<br />

Later he wrote of that moment:<br />

The experience was very much as F<strong>in</strong>ney describes. Certa<strong>in</strong>ly it<br />

was so <strong>in</strong>toxicat<strong>in</strong>g, so exhilarat<strong>in</strong>g, and so <strong>in</strong>tense that I felt I<br />

33

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