Fire in our hearts - Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
AWAKE O ZION!
logical castle in the clouds, he was cementing together human
lives, and that meant pain. Our independence was deeply
ingrained. Only by embracing the cross could unity be established.
‘Individualism has been the bane of the churches,’ wrote
Michael Harper. 23 The Redeemer Church had confronted this
problem and got down to the nitty gritty of committed relationships.
We read of how they cut down their activities, entered
a phase of building and got criticised by other Christians
for being introverted.
In Britain, too, the charismatic scene was muddled about
commitment. ‘The movement is robust, but amorphous,’ observed
Michael Harper. ‘It majors on individual piety and spiritual
drive rather than the creation of a new corporate dynamic.’
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The first Christians were ‘one in heart and mind’ (Acts 4:32),
standing ‘firm in one spirit, contending as one man’ (Phil 1:27),
and ‘with one heart and mouth’ they glorified God (Rom 15:6).
But in our day independence prevailed and many of us were
coloured by it.
Were evangelicals overbalanced in their emphasis on a ‘personal
relationship’ with Jesus? Did books idealise individual
success stories? Did too much stress on grace lead to lawlessness
and lack of authority? The problem taxed our hearts
at Malhamdale. For many it was a case of ‘blood, sweat and
tears’. New converts faced less of a problem. They jumped in
at the deep end!
In community the self-life gets exposed. Reserve, self-righteousness
and self-love are painfully revealed. Love of possessions
and the insistence on personal guidance, worldliness,
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