Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSON THE MARCHcry out for a positive, militant, Christian lifestyle. Such sentimentsare not terribly popular today... Fear of accusations offanaticism and eccentricity prevail.’ 84‘I once heard a neat definition of a fanatic,’ Clive wrotelater, ‘...someone who loves Jesus more than I do! Yet todayanything which seems to disturb our middle-class, middle-ofthe-roadexistence is treated with a combination of cautionand contempt.’ 85Good stuff! We agreed! Of course the cult smear was inevitable.Any pioneering movement is likely to be called a sector a cult. The early church was no exception. Paul the apostlewas regarded as ‘a troublemaker’ and ‘a ringleader of theNazarene sect’ (Acts 24:5). He couldn’t deny it! ‘I admit,’ saidPaul, ‘that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower ofthe Way, which they call a sect’ (Acts 24:14).Sociologically, Jesus and his followers bore many of themarks of a cult! Our church was distinctive, as were the Jerusalemchurch, the Quakers, the Methodists and many otherchurches throughout the centuries. We were pioneers.David Matthew, writing of radical movements, warned that,‘It is important not to ridicule those moves of God that theofficial church tends to frown upon as fringe groups, for theoutside runner, the breakaway has always played an importantrole in God’s plan.’ 86In Church Adrift he explained how a ridiculed Joseph and ahounded David were raised up by God to bring blessing toIsrael. Such was our long term hope.Ironically, when the Baptist Union was throwing us out, aBaptist minister was staying with us on a sabbatical. In hisreport he remarked how he felt there was great power to be270