Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSCOMMUNICATE!Another story came from our Sheffield evangelism; a brotherwas trying to rescue someone from being beaten up by a gangwhen one of them flew at him with both fists. Suddenly asmart young man leapt in and shielded him from the blows.‘Thanks!’ said the brother afterwards.Noticing he was carrying our Streetpaper, he added: ‘I’mfrom the Jesus Army.’The stranger smiled warmly. ‘Oh, I know all about you!’And he wandered off.The evangelist turned to the sisters opposite. ‘Did you seethat?’‘Yes. Amazing. His fists kept stopping in mid-air.’‘I mean the guy in the suit.’‘What guy?’ they asked.Angels, anointings, adventures! The summer began to crackleas the disappointments of 1990 turned into to a fresh exhilaration.The first edition of Fire in our Hearts was well receivedand many, on hearing the story ‘from the horse’smouth’, became firm friends and supporters. Not all wereconvinced, but new church leaders like Gerald Coates werevery appreciative, and Bryn Jones described God’s workamong us as ‘a miracle in our time’. 115New members glimpsed the treasures of our heritage andveterans sniffled and laughed their way through a story theyknew so well. It was all part of a rediscovery — of our call tobe a people for God and of our mission to the ‘poor’.After the book was launched I locked horns with Mike andHuw over my intention to marry. Sometimes authors disagreeand Mike lived up to his name — ‘Rockfast’! I decided to338