Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSCOMMUNICATE!sounds of screaming, coughing and vomiting. God’s templewas being cleansed and some nasty squatters removed!But even more inspiring that summer were the delicate experiencessome had of smelling beautiful perfume, feeling agentle breeze or sensing the presence of angels.God had created a culture-shock amongst us. Fresh sight blewaway narrow-heartedness, opened up new horizons and baptisedus into an awareness of God’s movement world-wide.We felt his heart-throb for the nation and his urge to reachthe unreached. It permeated the songs we sang; ‘I have adestiny’, ‘We’ll walk this land’, and ‘Heal this nation’.‘Rise up you champions of God!’ we cried — ‘we’ll reachthis generation’. But how? How could we touch a generationso desperate for reality? Only by being approachable and relevant.To reach and win people was the fire in our hearts thatdemanded constant change, ever-fresh initiatives.Before the melting experiences of 1988 there was a degreeof stiffness in our bones, of awkwardness in our style and ofnarrowness in our approach. God coloured us in. We becamewarm and attractive again.Symbolically the now rather drab and tatty combat jacketswere laid aside in preference for bright tee-shirts and sweatshirts.New ‘space-age’ jackets were also on their way. Mottledin red, green, blue, black, brown and khaki, with yellowpatches — the Jesus Army would be about as camouflaged asa parakeet in Trafalgar Square!307