Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS THE LORD TOOK HOLD OF BUGBROOKE
Brian was an extrovert and a good balance to the cautious
group. Evidently God was gathering them for a purpose. What
that was, no one was quite sure.
There was some expectation of revival. They had listened
with awe to accounts of the Awakening in the Hebrides, where
people had been stopped in their tracks by the presence of
God. Dave believed that within a few months the Spirit would
sweep over Bugbrooke, the Baker’s Arms would empty, the
streets would be filled with repenting sinners, and God would
do all the work. He wanted it the easy way!
Then tragedy struck. Geoff was enticed away by his old
mates and backslid. A long-standing stomach ulcer got worse,
and in hospital his condition became critical. Noel and other
would often visit Geoff in hospital and would take his parents
there after a service. Two weeks after being admitted, he
found the Lord again and praised God so loudly he had to be
quietened down! He amazed the nurses. How could someone
that ill be so full of joy?
Geoff had five operations and was often near death. Everyone
believed he would recover and prayed for him, but towards
the end of the year he fell into a coma. The doctors
were on the point of giving up when Noel and others gathered
round and proclaimed the victory of Jesus. To the amazement
of the doctors, Geoff recovered consciousness.
Geoff’s illness was knitting the group together more closely
and was a challenge to prove the power of faith. As for doubting
John Thomason — well, the Lord cornered him on top of a
London bus. The love of God welled up within him as he rushed
back to his room and shut the door. Tongues burst forth, and
flowed and flowed until, at two in the morning, his lips were
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