Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSCITY ON A HILLwas the key: prayer must prevail, and obedience to the Spiritwas vital. In past revivals God used women and children tomelt the hearts of sinners, meetings ran themselves and theministers simply prayed. In Wales the miners would hurryfrom the coal faces to chapel where there were cries for mercy,songs of deliverance, testimony, tears, hearts poured out inpraise and great love.We needed that. Our large meetings, which were now mainlyin Northampton, had lost something of their spontaneity. Nowwe found that prayers, confessions and simple testimoniescarried power. There was a renewed emphasis on the bloodof Jesus. We were inspired afresh to proclaim the sinner’sgospel, to concentrate on Calvary and trust that a heart forcommunity would arise from deep repentance. Along withour twelve verse hymns on the ways of God and of Zion, wenow sang two-line songs on the name and blood of Jesus.As one meeting drew to a close we sang of the departedsaints: ‘Come let us join our friends above.’ It was very movingbut seemed strangely out of the flow. Two days later abrother was killed on his motorbike. It had been his last hymnon earth.As eternity drew close again, we started revival meetingsin Northampton. ‘Can you determine when you die?’ askedNoel. ‘Then let us live for God now rather than for this passingworld.’ Friends had already died through accident ordrugs. We felt we had failed them. The stakes were high, andthe young evangelists longed to snatch people out of the fire.These Northampton meetings ran four nights a week in asmall dusty hall above the Co-op. They were serious but notglorious. A local pub lost two regulars and a brick was thrown220