Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
AWAKE O ZION!
Noel looked up. ‘Why not?’
‘Yeh,’ said Pete. He looked out of the window — it was a
beautiful afternoon. ‘Man!’ he said — under his breath.
Practical sharing began in earnest that week. Apart from
midnight distributions of apple pies and Mars bars, there were
more serious needs. Some folk were only there because others
had paid for them. Then there were all the requirements
of the two new Jesus Homes in Northampton — the house for
Paddy, and also a house for Rufus and his friends. Rufus’ house
was fairly run down and needed a lot of work, and they were
still far short of the initial mortgage price. A hat was left out
in the meetings. On one day alone they got £200. One brother
pledged his life insurance and another threw in the £100 he
was saving towards his dream minibus.
As the fortnight progressed we sat more lightly on our possessions.
God wanted to own us completely: our affections,
our time and our goods. The example of the Redeemer Church
was a massive inspiration and Noel frequently read from the
book. ‘Each of them,’ he read ‘began to live a life of simplicity.
They stopped buying new cars and televisions. Possessions
were of value only for their usefulness to the community.’
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Our wallets continued to open along with our hearts. Somehow
this material sharing released the floodgates of brotherly
love. Laughter and tears flowed into the meetings as the
bond of love increased.
One brother had been a sergeant major and wore a moustache
to prove it! Long haired hippies weren’t quite his scene,
but the Lord burst his heart open. For him Malhamdale was
unforgettable:
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