Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS THE LORD TOOK HOLD OF BUGBROOKEThe chapel fellowship was wary both of being restrainedby denominational tradition and of being ‘covered’ by one ofthe new churches. The house church fellowships, being new,were inevitably immature and some were very middle-class.Noel had a good streak of the Puritan evangelical in him, andwas wary of an overbalance on liberty. Members of housechurches had discovered the joy of being ‘not under law’ intheir front rooms, but there was plenty of evidence for rulingauthority in New Testament churches. There was also the needfor holiness and costly discipleship.The chapel quietly asserted its independence as radical Baptists.The Lord was launching them out in a new direction,and it was a joy to have the Scriptures for a compass, and theSpirit blowing into their sails.Towards the end of the retreat they began to plan a new offensive:the Jesus Lives Crusade. Kelly, in particular, got excited.It seemed that this little ‘body’ was being mobilised.There was talk of a music festival and a convoy through thevillages. What’s more, they’d ordered a load of Jesus tee-shirtsin turquoise, orange and violet! JESUS IS LORD would soonbe proclaimed in block capitals from their chests and HAPPYNEW LIFE IN JESUS from their backs. The times were certainlychanging. To cap all that, they had decided to drape ared and white banner across the old stones of the chapel.JESUS LIVES! it would proclaim — right over the chapel entrance!Kelly winced as he thought of the reactions. He leaned backin his canary yellow shirt and red leather waistcoat and let56