Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSON THE MARCHwas walking her dog. She thought they were marvellous, andopened her home to them. On the last day she gave a farewellbuffet where Jesus People, punks and freaks were servedcakes, trifles and strawberries by a team of genteel Anglicanladies!In Birmingham there were plenty of stories and unusualencounters. One was reported in Lifenews:It was an ordinary flat, but the couple were not alone. Milkbottles would fly around the kitchen and there were knockingnoises. The water heater and cooker would be turned on. Anapparition was seen, and visitors were fearful. So we went tothe flat and commanded the evil presence to leave in the nameof Jesus. Now it’s a place of peace. 78Birmingham was still central to our vision. We held missionsin the city and in the autumn bought Cofton Hall, an historicmansion, which stood in fine grounds below the Lickey Hills.At ‘Cornerstone’ there were shades of the pioneering days atBugbrooke. It was large, cold and empty, and needed a lot ofrepair. When Skaino Services got to work, the brothers hadto sleep in the baronial hall with its old oak rafters and stonewalls. The place was spooky — you half expected an ancientbutler to come downstairs and croak, ‘You rang, Sir?’ But afterthey had all gone round the house shouting the name ofJesus, the atmosphere changed.One person at Cornerstone saw an angel standing at herbedroom door. Another night, a new convert came home drunkand discouraged. ‘God,’ he said, ‘if you’re really there, whydon’t you make a tree fall down or something?’248