Fire-in-our-hearts

Fire-in-our-hearts

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS ON THE MARCH

Our base was community. Zion was the rock, the central ground, the pearl. Evangelism was exciting, but as one evangelist sang:

My heart is held and planted in Zion;

And world and death and sorrow

Can never part this bond we have.

Sinners were coming home to Zion and the Jesus People were breaking out! But not without reverence for all God had shown us. Zion, her ways, her very dust and stones, were still our 'joy and crown'.

The results of the new thrust in evangelism were encouraging and of our target for 200 people that year, we gained

175. Joining the Jesus People, even as a non-resident, was quite a turnabout. It was 'the world behind me, the cross before me'. Nurture was all-important, and those baptised entered into covenant, pledging loyalty to Jesus and the brotherhood. Covenant classes extended before and after baptism, and members were expected to be at the meetings, especially the weekly Agape.

Fellowship houses were the focus of our work, though in Oxford and Banbury, where houses were not established, we shared the Agape meal in our non-residents' homes.

Not everyone was ready for residential community. Indeed, for some families and those with unconverted partners it was impossible. Some would be unable to give the practical commitment essential to community living, but we did expect them to carry the Zion vision.

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS ON THE MARCH

Many did to a high degree, and some of our deepest prophetic wisdom came from non-residents, who were often very grateful for what those in the community houses easily took for granted. They were frequently around, stayed overnight, were active on the prayer watch, and used the Food Distribution Centre. They carried a vision for their neighbourhood, and opened their homes to us. Non-residents were vital.

All new members belonged to a servant group and a discipling band, as well as having a shepherd and a 'caring brother' or sister. They were 'bone of our bone' and part of our 'family'. A smaller proportion fell away than is normal with more impersonal big mission evangelism. After a year some twenty per cent of our new members were not actively with us. Even that was heartbreaking.

We pushed further afield. Stoke was our northern frontier, and Mick 'Temperate' visited two friends there, Pete and John, who had 'split' from New Creation Hall some years ago. Pete's mother hadn't slept properly for two years, but after they prayed, she overslept and was late for work the next morning! Soon Mick had a coach team in Stoke where they met one of John's friends. He sat in the meeting and, when the call to Christ was made, he felt someone jabbing him in the back. He turned round, but no one was there! He was converted that night.

Roy and Maggie encountered the supernatural, too. Roy had been a Christian for twenty years, but felt dry. What's more, he didn't believe in miracles — until he met someone who radiated life and spoke in tongues. He welcomed Mick's servant group to Stoke and was filled with the Spirit. But

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS ON THE MARCH

days later he keeled over and was rushed to hospital with a collapsed lung. They discovered a blood clot.

Roy was in a bad way, so Maggie rang her friends and alerted the prayer watch. In a couple of days he was sitting up in bed and grinning at the doctor. The X-rays and tests showed perfect blood and his high blood pressure had disappeared.

Soon there were four servant groups in Stoke. The local

Teen Challenge used our Lifenews, but a pentecostal deputation warned them against our 'heretical' practices. We carried on undeterred and John's little house in Stoke soon became a sanctuary of friendship, praise and chip-butties.

In May we established the 'Eagles Wings' household at Milton Keynes. Apart from the lovely gardens, the house had gold plated taps in the bathroom and goldfish in the pond!

The following month we bought another substantial property, 'Firstfruits', in Nottingham.

Servant groups extended our work. 'Search groups' roamed free and 'Strike groups' aimed at distant towns. We followed any lead. One day two of the Farm teenagers vanished with a tent and were soon relaxing with their ice creams on the east coast. Eventually some brothers came to collect them, but on the way home they had a clear prompting to evangelise in Yarmouth. As a result, two people showed interest and the next week there were three more. All these were converted and began to visit the Farm. Thus was born the Yarmouth household.

One team went to the Glastonbury Festival and pitched their tents. As the heavy rock pounded day and night, they moved amongst crowds, chatting with people and sharing the gospel. A Christian lady who lived nearby met them while she

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was walking her dog. She thought they were marvellous, and opened her home to them. On the last day she gave a farewell buffet where Jesus People, punks and freaks were served cakes, trifles and strawberries by a team of genteel Anglican ladies!

In Birmingham there were plenty of stories and unusual encounters. One was reported in Lifenews: It was an ordinary flat, but the couple were not alone. Milk bottles would fly around the kitchen and there were knocking noises. The water heater and cooker would be turned on. An apparition was seen, and visitors were fearful. So we went to the flat and commanded the evil presence to leave in the name of Jesus. Now it's a place of peace.78

Birmingham was still central to our vision. We held missions in the city and in the autumn bought Cofton Hall, an historic mansion, which stood in fine grounds below the Lickey Hills.

At 'Cornerstone' there were shades of the pioneering days at Bugbrooke. It was large, cold and empty, and needed a lot of repair. When Skaino Services got to work, the brothers had to sleep in the baronial hall with its old oak rafters and stone walls. The place was spooky — you half expected an ancient butler to come downstairs and croak, 'You rang, Sir?' But after they had all gone round the house shouting the name of Jesus, the atmosphere changed.

One person at Cornerstone saw an angel standing at her bedroom door. Another night, a new convert came home drunk and discouraged. 'God,' he said, 'if you're really there, why don't you make a tree fall down or something?'

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS ON THE MARCH

The night was calm, but the next morning he wept when he saw a huge tree sprawled over the lawn.

In Birmingham they met homelessness, poverty, violence, addiction and loneliness. One woman, whom they were seeking to lead to Christ, died drunk in bed. They saw afresh, as Booth once did, how an army of Christians must arise to meet the need. The powers of darkness were rampant, the occult ran wild, and a great heartcry rose up from these inner cities. The evangelists wept at some of the things they saw.

They saw riots, race-hatred and unrest. We longed for a multiracial church, and were saddened by our slowness to reach blacks. Maggie from Liberia was one who found our friendship. 'My life was very sinful,' she wrote in Lifenews, 'and I had reservations about a white church anyway. I made sure I was out when they called, but they caught me unawares! What really surprised me was that they didn't mind me being the only black. After that God worked in me, and I became like one of the gang. I knew I belonged.'79

In Britain the harvest was ripening. We spent eight months of mission work in central England, on top of a busy working week. 'God is keeping his soldiers fighting,' we sang from the Salvation Army song book, but with such a full programme and the huge increase in raw converts many of us were getting worn down.

Steve 'Genuine', the farm strong man and kiddies' hero, went through a crisis at this time. Once he had 'seen the kingdom', Steve had sacrificed his nice background, Christian ambition, and degree, for tractors, straw-carting, and cattlerearing. He scorned false spirituality, but now had lost his inspiration. In his own words, he was 'the farm slob'. In frus-

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS ON THE MARCH

tration, he decided to 'split', but his mates pleaded with him, and he had a change of heart.

Steve began to pray a lot and often spoke at our informal

Sunday night 'Lost Sheep' gatherings at Cornhill for the under-thirties. We were concerned for our own youth, some of whom were strongly attracted by the world. Some feared we might lose our second generation. Steve, for one, felt that unreality amongst us was to blame and he became increasingly burdened for the church.

Within two years our rather Hutteritish church-community had been transformed into an army of would-be evangelists.

But, though we had almost reached our 200 target, many of us were jaded, drained and spiritually thirsty.

20 Fire! Fire! Fire!

'What's got into Steve, Rufus?' Nathan scratched his head.

'He used to be one of the lads. Now he comes in from the yard and disappears up the attic. We never see him.'

'Yeah. He was an honest slob!' said Steve 'Zealous'. 'He's gone thoughtful like.'

'Yeah,' said Dave 'Forthright'. 'I found him in the orchard

— just staring into the sunset.'

'In this weather?' growled 'Zealous'. 'He's losing his marbles!'

'He was in tears,' whispered 'Forthright'.

Nathan whistled. 'Man! He's sure got a serious dose of somethin'.'

'Bros! Don't you see?' said Rufus. 'He's in love.'

'What, again?' sighed 'Zealous', clutching his forehead.

'With God, with God!' Rufus beamed.

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS ON THE MARCH

'Wow!' said Nathan.

'...You what?' said 'Forthright'.

Steve 'Genuine' had been keen to get married quickly.

'Bro,' said Rufus, 'you're becoming dynamic, and the teenagers respect you. Zion is in need right now. Why not put this off for six months? Let God really use you.'

'No way!' said Steve. But he was uneasy. His tough guy image was crumbling and he longed for God. Lukewarmness was around, and it was true — Zion was in need.

He spent hours sitting before God, and it wasn't long before his thoughts about marriage evaporated. God became his passion. God's presence was captivating, awesome, holy.

'Sometimes,' he said, 'a stillness came on me. The brothers called me for dinner but I couldn't move. I'd read how Evan

Roberts would spend hours lost in God. That was how I felt.

Then a burden for holiness came upon me.'

One evening the household went round claiming the power of the Blood of Jesus over the rooms at the Farm.

'Bro,' Steve said to Noel, 'what we really need is to get low before God. The church needs to regain its first love.'

'I knew this was God's word for us,' Steve said later. 'It burned in me day and night and I cried out amongst the cattle, "Lord restore your Zion!" I was jealous for God, and tired of our flippant ways.'

The flame spread and one of the farm teenagers burst into action. Steve 'Strengthener' and Steve 'Genuine' would pray together and were fearless in speaking out.

One night Rufus was leading the house meeting.

'Rufus, bro, you haven't got the word!' said Steve 'Genuine', as he stood up.

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS ON THE MARCH

'Look, brethren, we've gotta stop grieving God. Where is his fear? Can't you see his judgements amongst us? Brethren, our God is a consuming fire. Look how Ezra felt: "O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you" (Ezra 9:6). We ought to cry for mercy! We gotta let him plough us up! O God remove our reproach! God will make

Zion beautiful again if we stop our arrogance and get low before him.'

Everyone went quiet as an awe settled on the room for what seemed like hours. All was still, apart from a few whispered prayers. Some fidgeted and couldn't handle the silence. Outside the cold wind blew up clouds of snow.

'Right!' said Steve. 'I'm going outside. I'm walking once round the lawn out front to show God I mean business. It's got to be everything, brethren! If you want to follow me, then you come — but make it real!'

One by one, they walked out into the snow. That night was a turning point. Rufus got fired up — praying, and fasting and going for long walks. He felt like he was married to God.

'It was like heaven!' said Rufus, 'But I couldn't convey the bliss I felt.'

Jess and the kids soon brought him down to earth!

In February we started Friday night revival gatherings in chapel. There was no formal leadership. We came in silently and prayed, and it was obvious who carried a real burden.

Often it was sisters crying to God for their houses, and that meant a lot of pride-swallowing for leaders. Our eyes were opened to backsliding — rebellious kids, prayerlessness, shallow conversions, complainings, worldliness and lack of zeal.

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We confessed sins and pleaded for our households and businesses.

Rufus and the two Steves visited other houses, bringing the message of repentance. Sparks flew when a few elders resisted this input, but the revivalists were undeterred. Zion was going to be cleansed.

The tide began to turn. Some brothers were praying at Cornhill when, around two in the morning, Steve 'Genuine' broke into a chuckle. Then he laughed and laughed. The joy of the Lord came on them; the other Steve trembled and shook, and Rufus was prostrated and overcome.

Cornhill caught the fire, and when one of their sisters attended her disciple band at Vineyard the flame spread. It was electric. They prayed, wept and sang in tongues. Mike 'Rockfast' had found a breakthrough too and late that night came home to Vineyard with a sense of expectancy. He found the disciple band leader aglow, and, as others joined them they began to pray. When one sister entered the room she cried out because of the presence of God.

'Mike came up,' wrote one brother, 'and said, "Come down quick! The Lord's doing something." We rose and dressed, and found the sisters calling on God. I felt a flood of the Spirit and fell on my face. "Lord!" I cried, "I feel like Jonah who must be thrown overboard!" It felt like white light. Sin was instantly exposed and you either broke down or hardened up. My sins were so many I thought they would bring judgement on the house. We continued praying for hours, and one sister all night.'

The next evening after Agape, a sister wrote in her diary: 'We gathered as soon as possible. Even the children confessed

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS ON THE MARCH

their sins. The elders knelt in the middle and the children prayed over them... I feel different now and the joy of my salvation is returning.' She put down her diary and continued praying — in her sleep!

'That night,' wrote another, 'the Spirit kept rising within me. Tears came to my eyes and I got up to tell someone what was happening. Such gratitude was in my heart.'

Amazed, Mike surveyed his new household and wept for joy. 'Everything was topsy-turvy,' he wrote. 'Sisters carried the anointing and leaders were humbled. The issues of blessing and judgement became so real. Everything was transparent — it was marvellous! As we knelt, praying and weeping, and singing and rejoicing, I wished it would never end.'

There were similar stories in other houses. We virtually forgot evangelism, and people prayed in the morning, at work, after lunch, and at night — they prayed any time, any place.

We duplicated accounts of past revival movements and circulated them around the houses. We saw a pattern in revivals, as hunger for God, repentance and brokenness were followed by the cleansing blood and the power of the Spirit.

An old revival song was popular at this time: Now the cleansing blood has reached me.

Glory Glory to the Lamb!

We saw the power of the blood as never before. Revival was blood and fire! Holy Fire was the title of a book by Colin

Urquhart,80 whose community at The Hyde had also experienced God's awesome holiness. Fire was our watchword too.

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By April many households were revived and love for Zion rekindled. Children responded well, as one mum from Eagles

Wings recounted: 'Peter (8) felt water moving inside him and knew he was being filled with the Spirit. He prayed with James (6) and during Agape, Peter, James, and Rachel (11) were confessing their faults. Later I looked into the bedroom and they were on their knees, hymn book open. So I left them.'

During Easter week forty hours were given to prayer, and each house aimed for a corporate pentecost. 'Then Zion shall be holy ground,' wrote Noel, 'and the presence of God will convict sinners.' We daren't resume mission work till we had received the 'power from on high'. But not everyone had.

There was still pride around and elders were amongst the worst offenders.

Noel spoke to the leaders from 1 Kings 13 on the man of God and the prophet of Bethel. The altar there had been given over to the worship of Baal, but the old prophet had said nothing. God sent a young man to prophesy against the altar, but out of jealousy the old prophet deceived him and he was killed.

So, too, would pride in leadership destroy the anointed ones of God. When the ministry had finished many were prostrate or knelt and wept. That night God humbled us.

May Bank Holiday was scheduled for 'praise and pentecost' on the Hall lawn. When the day came, it rained and rained and rained. We sang 'Rain from heaven, fall', and laughed.

God had done great things among us. We leapt and shouted and sang. Many testified at the microphone and one brother reminded us of how Elijah drenched the sacrifices before the fire of God fell.

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Noel suggested we sing 'The Lord reigns'! We booed and clapped. Revival had done little for his corny humour. Verna played the organ under a wet towel and we sang, 'When I survey the wondrous cross'. Many knelt in the puddles as the tears mingled with the rain. That day everyone was soaked and the brothers went off with half the Hall's spare jeans!

Noel was ready for action. 'Faith works with God!' he wrote on the notice sheet. 'Faith carries the gospel of grace and sinks it in the souls of men. Faith is active courage, a flame of holy fire! Faith yearns, prays, receives. Faith blazes, glows, burns! Faith dares, fights, wins! It embraces every trial as a friend. Faith is visionary. It heals the sick, casts out demons, raises the dead! Faith sees the kingdom and will not rest until "Jerusalem is a praise in all the earth!"'

It was now June and all systems were go. Among us Jesus

85 had been forecast as a year of Pentecost, Pioneering and

Peoplehood. In Jesus 84 we had been in large meetings most of the time. Jesus 85 was to be grass-roots again. This meant pioneering evangelism from small teams and 'Spirit-anointed initiatives' which would operate on five levels.

First there were servant groups. We had 150 of them (not yet 200!) and the target was for one new member in each.

'Do you have the explosive power of Pentecost?' wrote Noel.

'Are you soul-winners?'

Second, Jesus Pilgrims would travel around for up to a week using a Jesus People caravan.

Third, Fire Teams would live in an area for two or three months to evangelise, gather or plant.

Fourth, Beachfire Teams would go out to the holiday resorts. 'The crowded beaches are fields white to harvest,' wrote

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Noel. 'Revival will see multitudes of young people saved. The need is immense and we want to get where they are.'

The fifth level of evangelism involved Jesus Marquee Missions in each of the areas where we were working. 'We are buying a marquee and we want it filled with sinners; a place of revival with many conversions and signs following.'

The Marquee Missions would be led by four special JET or Jesus Evangelism Teams which included healers, singers, and intercessors. Marquee meetings would run all week (apart from Agape night) with Noel leading on Saturdays and Wednesdays, and the other meetings taken by the JET teams.

The preachers were Mick 'Temperate', Kelly, Pete Matt and Mark 'Strong', another main leader.

The Golden Marquee looked fit for a jousting tournament.

It was in Jesus People colours: yellow and white stripes, with blue panels and red crosses. A large banner with ENGLAND

FOR JESUS! rode the crest. At the entrance was WELCOME!

GOD LOVES YOU POWERFULLY! while THERE IS POWER

IN THE NAME OF JESUS! hung in red letters over the platform. The brother in charge had some experience with big tops and tent evangelism. John 'Fortitude' was huge, soft-spoken, and built like a tank. You didn't argue with him!

In Northampton, where the mission lasted three weeks, we began with a march. For old-timers, it was uncanny to be marching once again from Midsummer Meadow to All Saints.

The early seventies freaks had become the Jesus People of the eighties. One hundred had become eight hundred, the boys were men, and the men were veterans. Kneeling at All

Saints, we marvelled at God's mercy. There had been heartbreaks, but God had given us a second generation.

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS ON THE MARCH

Our interest in revivals gave us a shot of old-time religion.

We were a blood, fire, and hallelujah church and introduced kneeling benches at the front for the 'altar call'. The counselling room was abandoned and the action remained in the meeting. We painted a tea chest black, placed it up front and wrote

SIN BIN in white letters. Night after night we emptied it of drugs, lighters, cigarettes, syringes, charms, studded jackets, records and earrings. John 'Fortitude' had a regular bonfire.

What with the brightly coloured Marquee, the march, daily street work, large badges, and three editions of Lifenews, we had well and truly hit town! Handouts invited folk to lunch and a team of catering sisters arose with endless supplies of filled rolls, teas and soup.

The late night spot attracted bikers, punks and drunks.

While John 'Fortitude' kept a fatherly eye on things, time was spent making friendships and gaining trust. Then Kelly or Rufus might share at the microphone. Sisters sang moving solos or gave their testimonies. One brother touched many hearts with his folksy songs. 'Seek the mercy of God, my friend,' he sang gently, 'he has opened a door in Jesus.'

Visitors increased. There were conversions, healings and deliverances, and stories abounded in the daily Marquee

News. Touches of God were many but often claims were too high and too soon. Testimonies were encouraging but miracles were few. And where was spontaneous revival?

The firebrands were disappointed and Steve was heartbroken. He had expected something more. But as he cried to God he took heart. This was but a beginning. The reviving work had begun 'at home' and was a preparation for some-

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thing greater. A new wave would hit Britain, and the Jesus

People would be amongst the front line.

Meanwhile, our burden was how to touch the heart of this generation, how to stem the flood of darkness in the land. 'As

I marched through Northampton,' wrote one brother, 'I thought, "Imagine if all the Christians in this land stood for the Lord and marched on their town. What a revival of faith and holiness would follow!"'

In 1985 many Christians in the UK were stressing the urgent need for national repentance and there was a growing hunger for revival. But what were we looking for? Shouldn't the trumpet first sound in Zion? Indeed, one article in Buzz magazine spoke of the church 'spiralling into an abyss of worldliness,' and being 'guilty of a massive accommodation to the world'.81 God was wanting to refine his people, and restore the purity of the church.

David Pawson was one among many who warned against the inadequacy of ventures like Billy Graham's Mission England. He insisted that the charismatic movement had come to prepare for greater things — the establishing of New Testament radicalism. The purpose of renewal was restoration of the church, holiness and national awakening.

Our July Church Week was in Northampton and once again we focused on Zion, the people of God. After that it was back to the mission field. The marquee moved to Milton Keynes.

What a potential harvest amongst the aimless youth! But we needed 'on fire' youth to reach them. Our lads wanted something adventurous, and some were already on Beachfire in Yarmouth and Hastings. We sought to channel their youthful

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aggression against the devil. A meeting was held for underthirties (plus a bit over) and Operation Mark was born. (Mark had been a zealous young disciple of Jesus.)

We printed leaflets:

OPERATION MARK!

A RESISTANCE MOVEMENT OF HOLY REBELS! WANTED:

500 young men and women:

* committed to Jesus Christ

* alive with the enthusiasm of the Spirit

ready to be Jesus commandos and fight the sins that are degrading the youth of England!

Our weapons were the love of Jesus and the word of God, and during marches the 'rebels' carried crosses and Bibles. REBEL

FOR JESUS stickers appeared and the logo showed a figure with raised Bible and cross. Operation Mark 'rebels' promised to live for Jesus and be loyal disciples and inspired personalities. They were to accept trials and never give in, gain others for Christ, and actively witness to their faith.

Songs appeared: 'We are at war!' and, 'I'm revolting!'

Nathan put, 'I'm a rebel for Jesus, from head to toe!' to a rock tune! Some made waistcoats with a red cross and REBEL

FOR JESUS on the back. Ian, the solicitor, was like Superman. When he got home from the office, he threw off his pinstripes, donned his 'rebel' waistcoat, and went out evangelising. One night, as he was talking to people in a pub, he began to feel very warm. Someone had set his waistcoat alight!

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One young man turned up at New Creation Hall who fitted the bill exactly. He'd even been a soldier. Mark 'Warrior' was twenty-three, a muscle man and a rebel. He'd seen the world in the merchant navy and his arms were tattooed and scarred.

As a biker he'd smashed a lot of shop windows in Huddersfield, fled the law and crashed his bike. He'd lived with the Hare Krishnas, and ended up in the Spanish Foreign Legion.

He deserted, escaping in a yacht, but it ran aground, and he was caught, flogged, imprisoned, and put to hard labour under the scorching sun.

One day, in preparation for a ceremony at the Spanish prison, Mark climbed a roof to fix a statue of Christ on to the cross. Alone up there, the eyes of Jesus seemed to pierce his soul. 'I forgive you, Mark,' they were saying. He broke down and wept. On his prison bed, reading his Bible, the power of God came upon him and he was baptised in the Spirit. The Spanish officers were so shocked by the change that they offered him promotion! He declined, and was released from the Legion.

Mark arrived back in Huddersfield to find his family already converted. The parish church was good, but Mark felt like a caged lion. He wanted a twenty-four hour a day commitment.

He considered Bible college or a monastery, but the church sent him down to us! Mark wasn't disappointed. He wrote later: I walked into the Hall and the Spirit came on me again. I was on cloud nine for three weeks. They had a church gathering in a theatre and all I heard was Zion, Zion, Zion! But it was the brotherhood that really amazed me.

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Simon came up and met my folks. We walked on the moors.

He enthused about Operation Mark and offered me a place in the Banbury household. It was like a family to me. I was very excited with the kingdom of God and keen to learn, but I was hot-headed, too.

At one Banbury meeting, I prophesied.

'What did you think of that?' I asked.

'Not a lot,' Simon grunted.

I was so frustrated with him when I got home that I smashed the bedroom door down! But we had to laugh — lying there on the door was a convicting text: 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!'

We were inspired by the New Testament image of the army of God. The apostle Paul expected his men to endure hardship and be fully committed. 'No-one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs,' he wrote to Timothy (2 Tim 2:4).

The New Testament unveiled a spiritual war — on one side the kingdom of God — on the other, the world, the flesh and the devil.

'We are the Jesus Army' was splashed on Marquee News, and Operation Mark took the lead. At their 'War Council' they read the Salvation Army Articles of War and spoke of city invasions and dawn raids. We wanted a strong image and felt the church in Britain needed vigorous men on the front line.

More flak came our way as we took our Marquee over the Midlands. But, flak or not, the army of Jesus People marched on into 1986 with increasing determination.

21 When They Exclude You

JESUS CULT — REV STANTON'S KINGDOM. That was us — according to a pamphlet that started to have a wide private circulation! This virulent little job carried allegations of heavy shepherding, deprived kids, infallible authority, legalism, empire building, world-hatred, recruitment and even forced labour. The authors twisted the truth until it was barely recognisable, and Noel in particular came under vicious personal attack.

Sadly, there was a ready market for sensational rumours, half-truths, and lies. What gave this pamphlet more credibility was that it was written by two ex-members, supposedly with 'inside knowledge'. But as Stanley Jebb had pointed out in Renewal, few churches would want to be judged by those who left them. The views of these brothers were particularly distorted. One elder who had left us received a copy and tore

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it up in disgust. Then he pieced it together and passed it on to us!

A group was formed to 'pray' against us, and they motivated a smear campaign. The 'Jesus Cult' pamphlet was distributed to ministers, relatives, new converts and the press.

The Jesus Fellowship was discussed in churches, on radio, and even in Woman magazine! Letters flew around, and the media were fed with titbits.

The effect was poisonous, and suspicion spread like cancer. A Christian church had been reviled, and the name of Jesus dishonoured. New friends and converts stumbled as critics sought to turn away those whom we had led to Christ.

We expected opposition, but this was shameful.

On December 24th the Daily Star accused us of denying our children the innocent joys of Christmas. Innocent joys! In fact, we had already scheduled December 26th as a special

Children's Day. (The Hall kids enjoyed an outing to a wildlife park.) Many laughed at the press, and relatives and friends were often supportive of the Fellowship. In the school where I worked they respected us. (They said I had a 'calming influence' on the staff room!) However, many Christians seemed gullible.

Dave 'Resolute', our PR man, had a busy time. In 1986 we were embarking on a two year programme of 'explosive pioneering' all over England, evangelising and planting 'church households'. Noel had his hands full and Dave had the unenviable task of heading up a PR battle, answering the press and shuttling between leaders. Eventually we asked the Evangelical Alliance to stand with us publicly.

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The Jesus Fellowship had joined the EA after Gilbert Kirby's visit in 1982. They regarded us as a controversial but doctrinally orthodox church. Not everyone agreed with us and some regarded 'community' as near heretical. Nonetheless they knew we were true evangelicals and the Alliance had welcomed us.

The EA suggested a meeting with our attackers, but we felt that unless they desired reconciliation, a meeting would achieve nothing. We were keen, though, to meet with responsible leaders and answer their questions. Dave corresponded with Clive Calver, the General Secretary of the Evangelical

Alliance. In January 1986 Clive proposed a meeting of three of our leaders with some of the EA executive, and with leaders representing our opponents, to investigate 'the accusations made against the Fellowship... that these matters might be properly resolved'.

We arrived in London eager to clear our name, but the EA had been receiving complaining letters and phone calls and feelings were running high. Churches, it was rumoured, had even threatened to leave the Alliance if we remained. The EA were under pressure.

We had innocently expected the accusations to be dealt with, the vendetta exposed and our integrity upheld, but the matter of the accusations was dealt with quite briefly. However, a different issue of poor relationships with local churches was raised. The EA felt compelled to suggest that we resign on this issue.

We felt totally let down. As Noel wrote to the chairman: 'It was an unusual experience. It was like being condemned without trial.' Relating to other churches was scarcely the issue

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on which we had approached the EA. On that basis, we felt, many others could be disqualified from membership. Anyway, enforced resignation was an unusual way to strengthen relationships!

However, the EA prided itself on being an alliance of member churches at a local as well as a national level. In their view, the word 'alliance' hardly described our position. The Council sent Noel a letter assuring him that the question was not one of orthodoxy but of whether continued membership of the EA was desirable. On other matters they 'had no wish to sit in judgement'. It seemed as if they were washing their hands of us. A saddened Noel wrote back: Is it not surprising that a saga, which began with our advising

EA of a defamatory pamphlet and requesting their support, should end with the EA virtually dismissing us?...

The EA has found this church an embarrassment because of opposition we are attracting in our stand for scriptural holiness... The issues were: 1 Are the critics using lies, distortions, and unbalanced comment, and should they be reproved?

2 Is this smear campaign in the Spirit of Christ?

Our appeal for support had been rejected. It felt like being handed over to our 'crucifiers'. Once again we experienced pain and humiliation. But the path of suffering would lead on to fruitfulness.

And so, in 1986, the Jesus Fellowship Church resigned from the Evangelical Alliance. When Buzz magazine interviewed

Clive Calver, he was conciliatory: 'We have encouraged the

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Jesus Fellowship to develop links with other Christians. There were no doctrinal grounds for the EA's decision.'82 The EA recognised us officially as a 'genuine Christian church'.

In April Buzz produced an article: 'Bugbrooke: Cultic or Christlike?' which in places was quite positive and included testimonies from our own people: The Bugbrooke community have faced accusations of breaking up families... and aggressive authoritarianism... No evidence has been put forward to substantiate these claims... Theologically they appear as sound as a bell... No other group of Christians has been at the blunt end of so much criticism, lies, scandal, accusations, and suspicion as the Jesus Fellowship. On the other hand there are numerous Christians from house fellowships and other denominations who have visited and gained a very favourable impression of the Jesus People.83

Buzz quoted a local vicar: 'I see nothing less than God's love among them flowing from a radical discipleship which is a reproach to most of us.'

They are a Christ-centred group,' added one elder from the Bethany Fellowship, whilst the local Baptist youth leader, Harry Whittaker, felt: 'We ought to be glad about Bugbrooke when so many churches are dead.'

But the Baptist Union officials were also becoming keen to lose us. There were complaints, letters and gossip, apart from which, we appeared to have gone national. The Jesus Fellowship had spread out in its church-planting activity and, in some ministers' eyes, we appeared to be stomping over 'their patch'.

Also our links with the local Baptist Association had been

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somewhat tenuous for a number of years. It seemed we didn't fit the mould. Our church was one of the biggest on the Baptist Union list. It was also their biggest embarrassment! Eventually the BU council threw us out, after refusing to allow

Noel to address them. It was all a lesson in loving our Christian brethren even when they rejected us and wanted little to do with us.

However, the constant exchanges with press, critics, advisers and umpires were wearing down our PR man. Dave 'Resolute' was a senior leader in the Warwickshire area and a good evangelist. As editor of our Newness magazine he'd written profound articles on the radical church and celibacy. In his PR role he'd both sat down with Christian leaders, and fended off the tabloids. But it seemed that his visionary sword was being hammered into a diplomatic shield.

Dave came to feel that some of the critics were right — we should tone down and accommodate. Gradually other serious reservations became apparent. Some of us urged him to regain a radical vision, but he was adamant. Unless we changed our whole approach he could see no future for himself in the Jesus Fellowship. We stood firm but were sad to see him go.

Had diplomacy gone too far? It was great to have good relationships, but if other Christians chose to exclude us, that was their problem. The Anglicans all but kicked Wesley out; the Methodists kicked Booth out; and everyone kicked the Pentecostals out! We were in good company. God had given us a task and we were going to get on with it!

That year The Fight Of Your Life by Clive Calver and Derek

Copley appeared. In it they wrote: 'Your heart is beginning to

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cry out for a positive, militant, Christian lifestyle. Such sentiments are not terribly popular today... Fear of accusations of fanaticism and eccentricity prevail.'84 'I once heard a neat definition of a fanatic,' Clive wrote later, '...someone who loves Jesus more than I do! Yet today anything which seems to disturb our middle-class, middle-of the-road existence is treated with a combination of caution and contempt.'85

Good stuff! We agreed! Of course the cult smear was inevitable. Any pioneering movement is likely to be called a sect or a cult. The early church was no exception. Paul the apostle was regarded as 'a troublemaker' and 'a ringleader of the Nazarene sect' (Acts 24:5). He couldn't deny it! 'I admit,' said

Paul, 'that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect' (Acts 24:14).

Sociologically, Jesus and his followers bore many of the marks of a cult! Our church was distinctive, as were the Jerusalem church, the Quakers, the Methodists and many other churches 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 the official church tends to frown upon as fringe groups, for the outside runner, the breakaway has always played an important role in God's plan.'86

In Church Adrift he explained how a ridiculed Joseph and a hounded David were raised up by God to bring blessing to Israel. Such was our long term hope.

Ironically, when the Baptist Union was throwing us out, a Baptist minister was staying with us on a sabbatical. In his report he remarked how he felt there was great power to be

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released through Christians, like us, who were deeply committed to one another in love.

'Their existence,' he wrote, 'is a prophetic witness to the church which has, by and large, rejected radical obedience to God's word. Therefore the Christian establishment find them a thorn in the flesh.'87

We would not be ashamed of our cutting edge. Breakthroughs are made by breakaways! As we realised this we found renewed vigour and vision. The beauty of Zion blazed up afresh in our hearts and the courage of a Gideon's army inspired us. The religious had rejected Jesus, but 'the common people heard him gladly' (Mark 12:37). We addressed ourselves to the need. The poor in spirit would welcome God's message of love, equality and justice.

'Rough is the sea that we're sailing, and the storm clouds burst overhead! Rebels, we are rebels. We're the outcasts, the outcasts of hell!' So growled Steve 'Zealous' in his song.

The concept of being 'Jesus rebels' against the powers of evil flourished amongst us. We issued a regular leaflet, Join

Us! We were so fed up with the taunt of 'recruiting' that we took the idea aboard. Yes, we would recruit an 'army' of zealous disciples. Like David on the run, we received 'all those who were in distress or in debt or discontented' who were gathering to us (1 Sam 22:2).

Booth had encouraged his soldiers to go for the worst. We looked for vagabonds and hoped to turn them into a force for God. As Jesus had remarked, it was the tax-collectors and prostitutes who made it into the kingdom before the religious.

1986 was a hectic year with Operation Mark, Fire Teams, Beachfire, Jesus Street Teams, Marquee Missions, Jesus

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Church Planters and Elisha Leadership Training. No rest for the righteous!

Share Our Bread was our 1986 outreach slogan, taken from Isaiah. This was what God required of us: 'to share your bread with the hungry' and to 'bring the homeless poor into your house' (Is 58:7, RSV). There would soon be room for 250 new people in our houses, our businesses prospered and resources had grown. Everything was the Lord's and we wanted to share it with others.

We set targets for 50 church-households, with 250 leaders, 250 servant groups, 250 celibates, 250 new members, 250 new residents. 250 was the number! There were now 250 on the Prayer Watch, too. The work was expanding and we all wanted to hear from the front line and give prayer support.

Evangelists sent in their reports to Jesus Happenings, a monthly news-sheet. They were getting bolder in following their spiritual intuitions. John Wimber's book Power Evangelism88 had inspired us and we expected 'power confrontations' of the supernatural.

Jesus Happenings reported that in Leicester a broken wrist was visibly healed, and in Tunstall they prayed with a woman, rebuking demonic powers. Shrieking and shaking followed and evil spirits were cast out. They left a New Testament and soon she was born again and healed of a ten-year back complaint.

Jesus Happenings also told how a Christian in Loughborough asked our young evangelists to pray with a friend with leukaemia. That week she saw her consultant.

'What pain killers are you taking?' he asked.

'None,' she said. 'There is no pain.'

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'I'll soon trace those pills with a blood test!' he said.

The test revealed no trace of pills — or leukaemia!

One story was of a sister who had to be at hospital for 11.15 am. It was 11.00 am and raining. It was a forty minute walk, so she prayed and set out. The Lord seemed close and she felt unusually light. When she reached the hospital, she looked at her watch and gasped; it was 11.15 am! Then she noticed her clothes — they were dry!

Healings, deliverance and the supernatural were increasing along with our faith!

We were now enamoured with the Army image. Join Us! carried a photo of an Irish lad: 'Sign Up! Mark has joined the Jesus Army!' The next one read: 'Urgent! Join the Jesus Rebellion' and showed a grinning street lad with a cross around his neck, badges, army jumper, and a broken nose!

That summer Operation Mark ran a small 'Jesus Army Camp' for our teenagers in the Peak District. Badges and car stickers also appeared inviting people to 'Join the Jesus Army!'

We wanted to plant twenty church-households at short distances from the thirty we already had. LEAP teams (Location

Evangelism And Planting) would evangelise and hold meetings in these areas. Supported by Marquee Missions and church evangelism, they would form a core and build others in. So we would 'leap' from one location to another close by.

However, a survey showed new activities as far afield as Newcastle, Liverpool, Chester, North Wales, Sheffield, London and Margate. We also sent historian Trevor with our Dutch brethren to Holland.

In June we were campaigning in Birmingham, where faith was running high, and visitors often outnumbered members.

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'I was snorting coke and heroin, smoking pot, and eating hash cakes,' one lad told us, '...it was getting me nowhere but high! I believed in God and called him Jah, but hated him when things got heavy. I dabbled in witchcraft, travelled around, and ended up in prison. The first time I heard about Jesus, I thought it was crazy, but I was moved by seeing these Jesus People really cared.'

He went to the Marquee and cried for the first time in two years. 'I knew my sins were washed away and my guilt was gone. The Jesus People are the sort of friends I've always been looking for.'89

Teams visited the beaches at Hastings, Weymouth, Blackpool and Brighton. We were loaned a farmhouse in Luton and bought more houses: Standfast in Birmingham, Trumpet in

Northampton, and New Wave in Yarmouth. In Birmingham we made friends with Muslims and Sikhs and now established a terraced house in the heart of the Asian population.

In Nottingham, a local paper reported:

A fanatical Christian group has set up a tent mission on Nottingham Forest's site. And its extreme stand against 'today's sick society' has seen petrol bomb attacks on the marquee and guy ropes slashed. The Jesus Fellowship campaigns against crime, unemployment, drugs, the occult, sexual permissiveness, marriage breakdown, abortion, child abuse and other social ills.

The members, who share their possessions, intend to march through the city centre.90

The media hadn't finished with us. That August a journalist came to our Bank Holiday Conference at Cornhill, and stayed

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at the Hall masquerading as a Christian from another church.

She was welcomed, and Ken, an amiable five-footer, looked after her. Within weeks we were splashed over the Sunday

Mirror.

The man with the manic eyes moved closer. Lips pursed in fury, he prodded me with his finger and demanded, 'Where have you been?' I froze and he raged on. I had slipped away from a marathon all-day prayer session. Now I faced the wrath of Noel Stanton's henchmen. It was brother Ken, previously a kind, friendly, father figure. 'We had you watched. You sneaked out of the meeting to go to the pub.' His piercing stare unnerved me... 91

It was gripping stuff! But it bore only the faintest resemblance to reality.

They wail and go into a trance-like state. Their chants reach a crescendo as 'Svengali' Stanton murmurs Bible passages and whips them up to a frenzy. He brings them down again, saying, 'Beloved, can ya hear me?'... and quotes more of the Bible with a slow drawl.92

Noel was a 'power crazed lunatic'! It was the usual stuff. C. T.

Studd once remarked that 'a lost reputation is the best degree for Christ's service.' We were well qualified!

In September we issued our first Jesus Army magazine. ALL

OUT WAR! was the front-page headline, and Noel had this to say: Britain is sinking into moral chaos! Only a moral and spiritual revolution in the power of the living Lord Jesus Christ will change

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that! That revolution must shake the nation and change its heart!

And God is forming an army of Christians who are ready to pay the price!

Blow the trumpet! Church of Jesus!

Rise up and fight!93

22 A Sound of Marching

'I saw our Zion as a woman, her clothes tattered and torn from battle. She sat alone, looking weary, the lines of travail etched upon her face. She bore the marks of age — yet was ageless. In her quiet strength, she carried a simple beauty.

'Her Lord approached. "My beloved daughter," he said kindly, "has the battle proved too much for you?"

'The woman looked up into his face. The sight of him brought strength and his voice cheered her heart.

'"I have much yet for you to accomplish in this land. Come, my daughter, and follow me."

'He led her to a high mountain and she looked upon the land where she lived and worked for her Lord. There, a light radiated from his face, but below, all was darkness save for a few patches of light that shone like stars in the night.

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'"Listen," he said. She heard the piercing cries of an imprisoned multitude and began to weep.

'"It is good to weep, but not enough."

'"But, Lord!" she cried. "I am weary and the task is great."

'"It is I who call you and I shall strengthen you."

'They went down the mountain and he led her to a solitary place, where they were alone, Zion and her Lord.

'"My daughter," he said tenderly, "I need to gain the fulness of your heart. Love for yourself has crept in. I called you as light to this land, but how dimly you shine. Remember when you loved me more — when the cross filled you with sweetness?"

'She slipped to her knees. He was right. The darkness had rubbed off on her and she was grieved.

'"Remember when I first called you Zion. The thrill of it filled your heart and your delight was to be mine."

'She remembered and was ashamed. Then the Lord stretched forth his hands. In one was a sword, in the other — a tiny golden cross.'

The wisdom was prophetic. It was now December 1986 and campaigning was over. We had broken through to the 'forgotten people': street kids, addicts, the poor, the homeless. We were learning to be patient with our new friends and 'lay down our lives' for them. Over a thousand had passed through the Marquee. Conversions and healings abounded and demons were removed.

Operation Mark had targeted for seventy young men and sixty-four were baptised in 1986. Although the majority of them were still around at the end of the year almost a quar-

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ter had gone. In Birmingham, four campaigns had left our people drained. With two new houses there, leadership was thinned out and overstretched. The work required sacrifice of time, energy and personal feelings. The battle was fierce and some began to fall. The team was shaken and by the new year three of the Birmingham leaders had left the work. For a while our hopes there seemed shattered.

Then God brought us wisdom in the Spirit. Where was the secret of a love powerful enough to reach the masses? The answer was in the heart of Jesus. It was the cross.

'"Let me plant this cross in your heart again," he said.

'"It will hurt, but it will be healing for yourself — and for your nation."

'She flinched, then nodded quietly. He took the sword and cut through till her heart lay exposed and there he buried the golden treasure. From the cross came a sweet, healing oil, and soon, with new strength surging within her, she arose, her face shining. He smiled.

'"With this sword of your suffering you will cut into the darkness and release the captives... Now take this also..."

'A tiny jewel lay in the scar of his hand.

'"This jewel of Covenant is worth more than all riches. Guard it with your life! When temptation is near, look upon it, for I have promised to be your God and you are my people."

'She bound it to her and now Zion was ready. With the sword of suffering going ahead and the light blazing from her heart, she descended into the darkness. The light penetrated and exposed, and many fought against her. They snatched at the jewel, but as she held it fast and advanced, a glorious thing

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happened. For following her was a path of light. Stepping out of the darkness, many caught hold of her robes and danced like children in the radiance she brought. And so Mother Zion was joined by the multitudes who longed for her coming, as she travelled on heralding the dawn in a darkened land.'

Samson used a jawbone. So would we. JAWBONE was conceived as the Jesus Army War Battle Operations Network.

Inspired by the early Salvation Army, we continued to think in military terms. A 'War Fund' was set aside, community houses were seen as battle stations, the Marquee as a battlefield and inner city houses as 'Battlefronts'.

JAWBONE co-ordinated leadership. We had brought system and management to our businesses, but church administration had been fairly loose, with households running their own affairs and 'covered' only informally by senior brothers.

Now was the time for efficiency. The group of Covering Authority brothers had expanded to ten and began to meet monthly. There was more delegation. Pastoral administration shifted towards Mark "Strong", more of the community management came under Mike "Rockfast" and evangelism was headed by Mick "Temperate".

More brothers came into JAWBONE to motivate and administer special areas such as discipleship, literature, new converts, backsliders, LEAP teams, distant households and campaigns. PR fell mainly on Noel's secretary, Liz, who became, for the press, the no-nonsense spokeswoman of the Jesus Fellowship.

JAWBONE toured the church, motivating the household leaders. The drop-out rate of our converts was disappointing,

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and we needed to nurture them more effectively. Administration improved, although no amount of organisation could take the place of the life of the Spirit.

As the Jesus Army began to take shape, some of us hoped we wouldn't go overboard on this military thing. After all, Jesus Army was only our campaigning arm, the church on the streets. As for the Salvation Army, they had been brilliant at soul-winning, but had neglected baptism, communion, charismatic gifts, and much that makes for a full-orbed New Testament church. Their outdoor, go-for-the-worst approach was superb, their holiness stance admirable, and their concept of the battle, marvellous — but their captains, peak caps and uniforms were a bit over the top. 'At least there'll be no uniforms for us!' we thought.

Meanwhile, Noel had been noticing the combat jacket that the leader of Operation Mark was wearing.

'Ummm,' he thought, 'there's a manly image. They're easily available and cheap... Let me see now — 300 men's jackets... Sisters can have green skirts... We need to be an identifiable people on the streets.

'Yes. The Jesus Army! Now what about the logo? The cross must be central to it. Ah yes! A blood red cross between JE-

SUS and ARMY, and below LOVE, POWER AND SACRIFICE!

That's it — a people who live sacrificially.

'"The Army with a heart to fight for you!" can be the motto.

Booth was right! An army of the blood of Jesus and the fire of the Holy Spirit — but also of covenant with God and with our brethren. Yes, BLOOD! FIRE! AND COVENANT! That must be our battle cry.'

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He could see the Army in action — banners waving, colours flying, guitars strumming, shouts ringing, and the name of Jesus echoing through the streets. The Jesus Army! It would be a beacon to the masses and a cause for the radical. It meant commitment, compassion, loyalty and self-sacrifice.

We quoted C. T. Studd in our magazine: I would sooner have a few dare-devil, care-for-nothing-and-nobody soldiers aflame with love for Christ than a million workers just ten per cent below the standard... Christ's call is to raise living churches of souls amongst the destitute, to capture men from the very jaws of hell, to enlist and train them for Jesus and to make them into an almighty Army for God. This can only be accomplished by a red-hot unconventional, unfettered Holy

Ghost religion. Soldiers of Jesus! Nail the colours to the mast!94

Jackets would be purchased. Colours would be displayed — army green, red for the blood of Jesus, white for purity, black for the darkness and gold for God's glory. We would buy a double decker and paint it up in Jesus Army colours — and the coaches, Crusader 1 and 2. Patches would be ordered — and badges, arm bands, khaki shirts, flags and banners! We would march in London! There in Trafalgar Square we would read the Jesus Army Manifesto. But first there would be a commissioning in Northampton Town Hall, and this time we would invite the press!

On April 18th, 1987, the Jesus Army was born.

A long column, something under a thousand strong, moved through the busy shoppers. Combat jackets, banners and ex-

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cited faces broke into the Saturday scene. Jesus shouts split the air. Green, gold, red, white and black — the flags waved defiantly in the spring breeze. A few skinheads marched with us and others tagged on the end!

We arrived at the Guildhall and streamed inside. Still singing, we squeezed through the stone corridors. Somehow we all got in and from the platform I enjoyed the sight of my friends.

Mick 'Temperate' tapped my shoulder from behind. 'All right, "Overcomer"?' he asked. 'Good to see you wearing your combat jacket!'

That irritated me (slightly). I was a pacifist at heart and might have felt more at home in a friar's habit!

My eyes scanned the portraits on the wall. What would those dignitaries make of the Jesus Army? 'These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here!' I quoted to myself, and smiled. They didn't look very amused.

We had gone off the rails — again! The Jesus Army were 'rebels', soldiers of the Lamb. Our heart had opened to the needy and our community houses would be places of healing that welcomed the downtrodden and attracted the strong.

Up on the platform stood a map of England. BRITISH CAM-

PAIGN! (Noel loved exclamation marks!) Every community house now had this wall map with places of Jesus Army activity marked by plastic pins. A brother pointed out our projects with a cane — all good Montgomery stuff. We planned campaigns in London and the larger cities. Marching through them, and pitching our Golden Marquee, we would witness to thousands. In pubs, night clubs, red-light areas, squares

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and back streets, the Jesus Army would befriend people and bring them the love of God.

Noel spoke of how the harvest was plentiful and a hunger for God was growing in the nation. The church as an army was becoming a visionary concept throughout the radical churches. We, and others, were to go on the offensive, challenging the devil, storming his strongholds, and proclaiming release to the captives. Mark 'Strong' read out the Jesus Army

Manifesto in his clear preacher tones:

'The Jesus Army is the campaigning arm of the Jesus Fellowship Church. It is created in response to God's call for his church to be an army of his kingdom conquering the spiritual powers of darkness...

'The Jesus Army campaigns aggressively against the social evils so common in our ungodly British society, and also against religious hypocrisy...

'The Jesus Army will go where others will not go. It will take the gospel to the "forgotten people", the crowds outside the influence of Christian religion. It will bring healing to the sick and deliverance to the oppressed...

'The Jesus Army respects all Christians and churches, and will not deliberately compete. It will not however allow the necessary all-out offensive to be slowed down, nor the prophetic word silenced, because churches are defensive.

'Jesus Army soldiers pledge full loyalty. They will receive any training to make victory possible and are committed to sacrifice and hardship...

'The Jesus Army unites believers into holy and loving churchcommunities, which show the end of all divisions and demon-

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strate a sharing lifestyle, true brotherhood, and a light to this world...'

In fifteen clauses we promised to be a one hundred per cent, red-hot, Christian army. Then the Revd Ken Thomason, a faithful friend from the early days, stepped forward.

'My brothers and sisters,' he said quietly, 'acknowledging the supreme authority of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who has commissioned his church to "make disciples of all nations", do you receive his commission as members of the Jesus Army? Do you promise to obey his commands?'

A loud, 'We do!' shook the air.

'Do you promise to be faithful in prayer, in reading of the Scriptures, to be loyal to your brothers, to build the church in truth and peace, to live a life worthy of this calling as members of the Jesus Army?'

'We do! The Lord being our helper.' We bowed in reverence.

'Eternal God, our Father, strengthen with thy Spirit, these thy servants in the Jesus Army, as now, with prayer we set them apart as ambassadors of the gospel.'

I looked up and saw that many were moved. After this, we sang 'Onward Christian Soldiers!' and a stirring Salvation

Army song: 'Wanted hearts baptised with fire!':

Wanted, hearts to love the masses,

Hearts to help him seek the lost,

Hearts to help him save all classes,

Hearts to help him save the worst.

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A time of loud praise followed, then Noel asked us to look up. High on the wall, encircling the hall in huge golden letters, was engraved a verse from Psalm 115. We read it out together: Not Unto Us, O Lord, But Unto Thy Name Give Glory!

I found myself loving God. His faithfulness was superb! What God had begun with some humbled failures in a tiny chapel with a funny name was now a challenge to the nation. Buzz magazine had called us 'one of the most controversial Christian groups in the country'.95 As we joined under those banners, I felt the thrill of God's call.

The commissioning finished and we filed out. I glanced up at a friendly portrait. William Carey, Missionary Pioneer. Carey once spoke of the power of 'loving brotherhood', and out in India had set up a multiracial household with 'all things in common'. The school where I worked was yards from where he once laboured as a shoemaker, and every day, for years, I had read on Carey's plaque:

Expect great things from God!

Attempt great things for God!

That was our heart, too.

'The Jesus Army will go where others will not go.' As I pondered the words from the Manifesto, my spirit rose to the challenge. I smiled at my combat jacket with its colourful badges — We Fight For You!

'Lord,' I thought, 'how did you get me into this?'

I looked up. 'Power Coach leaving in three minutes!' someone shouted.

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And then a familiar voice in my ear. 'Don't miss it again!' said Malcolm, the music teacher.

The Jesus Army marched into the press and on to radio and television. We now courted publicity, and certainly couldn't avoid it. With jackets, banners, marches, city action days, marquee missions and convoys, we were unmistakable. We even had a four-man, Jesus Army quadricycle!

Soon we were in London and pitching the Marquee in Battersea Park. Mounted police flanked our 'march for Jesus' from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square. It was an unforgettable day. There in the square we had a rally and a national commissioning. Then Mick 'Temperate' took a small group and carried the flag to 10 Downing Street. The letter they handed in to the Prime Minister (one also went to the Queen) was printed in shortened form in Heartcry, our magazine of 'social concern and action':

Dear Mrs Thatcher,

We urge you to call the nation back to faith in God. Christians are praying for a revival that will change society. The members of this church have become a Jesus Army to fight the evils in society and bring the gospel to the victims of vice. We pray that God will give you wisdom, compassion and strength for your responsibilities.

Yours respectfully,

The Jesus Fellowship.

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Heartcry focused on areas of need: homelessness, alcoholism, racism, abortion, AIDS, drug addiction, violence, prostitution and crime. It was great to tell the stories of those who had broken free. We issued a 'blood and fire' edition of Jesus

Army magazine. 'We declare WAR!' it read, 'on behalf of every man, woman and child in need of God's life-changing love.'

Two brothers were arrested in Soho for obstruction. The pimps had got annoyed — the gospel wasn't too good for business! The case was dismissed and we were awarded costs.

All this appeared in the press. Our courage grew. We prayed on the street and often people felt a touch of God.

'I met a Jewish man in London,' wrote Bill 'Truthful'. 'We talked and I prayed with him to receive the Spirit. As I laid hands on him and spoke in tongues, he reeled backwards under the power of God. "Where did you learn Hebrew?" he asked as he got up!'

We became well-known as people recognised our jackets.

Street kids found us unusually down to earth and friendly for Christians. 'Anyone in the Jesus Army is a friend of mine!' said one skinhead. At London's Cardboard City, Victor's wife, Sheila, was treated with reverence — like a nun. They even called her Sister. With her Army headscarf she looked like one!

Channel 4 filmed us at the Glastonbury Festival when we took our Crusader 2 bus there in July. Several came back from the new age hippy scene and joined us in community. Two of them had their wedding in chapel. The local newspaper showed them in uniform with an archway of flags behind them.

The sister's kit included a green skirt, blue body warmer, khaki blouse and headscarf. Brothers, as ever, wore jeans.

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Of course, the image provided a field day for critics. Northampton's Archdeacon compared us to paramilitary rebels and one local MP described us as a 'Rambo' cult. Others found the association with war a little disturbing. We understood, and ensured that the jackets were well adorned with badges and a large golden JESUS ARMY patch on the back. Red epaulettes were added to distinguish us further from any other 'street people' with combat jackets!

But many greeted the army image enthusiastically. It was strong and dynamic. God was in this latest initiative. Men and women were attracted and a fresh batch of zealous Christians joined us.

The press was full of headlines like 'Onward Christian Soldiers!' and 'Jesus Army Marches In!' 'Bugbrooke' still carried some shrouds of mystery but 'Jesus Army' belonged to the public. It crystallised our vision of commitment and compassion. As the months went by we learned more and more to lay down our lives and love the needy ones. As this was seen, our acceptance with church and people increased. We 'did a good job' — there was room for us in Britain.

But what of Zion? A hunger grew amongst the veterans. What about our standards, our depth, our holiness? The eighties had doubled the church and now many knew little of the way we'd come. The glory of the early days burned in our memory.

Then we had thrilled to be a people for God. Jesus Army was exciting, but did we really have the depth and anointing to take the nineties for Christ?

23 The Anointing

1987-88

Church Week 1987 came round in July and Jesus Army banners spanned the Golden Marquee in Coventry. Below, a thousand people praised God, hands raised and scarves waving.

There in the crowd stood Zion's veterans: Dave Lants, Kelly and Norma, Val, Rufus and Jess, Ralph, Victor and Sheila, and many others. Verna was still going strong, her fingers now skimming over a synthesiser. Miss Campion had passed away peacefully at the Hall at the age of ninety-three. Some had left us; those who remained were weather-worn and wiser.

From the first charismatic discoveries in the manse to the vision of community at Malhamdale, from the hilarious hippy days of Argyle Street, through to the rubble and chaos of the Hall and the first wintry days at the Farm, God had urged us on. Almost hallowed now were memories of the summer days

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at Ashburnham when we learned to meditate on God, open up our hearts and disciple one another.

There the vision of Zion had exploded on us. We were never to be the same.

God's word had inspired us and revealed the narrowness of Christ's path. As we sought to reach out to others with the gospel of the kingdom, we found humiliation in the press and suspicion from churches. At times the battle had been intense, but we had pressed on regardless. When friends deserted, more came to join us. Slowly we had forged a culture that was godly, deep and precious. How could veterans forget?

Now years of campaigning had gone by and the church had expanded. A new generation of Jesus People had arisen who didn't fully understand a beauty born of tears.

We had put everything into launching the Jesus Army. On one hand there was an aggressive evangelistic endeavour, on the other, an almost mystical heritage of community. Campaigning had stirred Zion to pour out her life, but many of us longed after purer brotherhood and the deeps of God.

As the sun filtered through the marquee, Noel stood up in his Jesus Army jacket and began to speak of the 'treasures of Zion'. Once more the preciousness of brotherhood passed before us — its loyalty, simplicity and sacrificial love. We sang a new hymn that expressed this longing for Zion:

Treasures of Zion here we seek;

Wisdom of all these God-filled years,

In which were formed the wise, the meek,

Mature in warmth and love and tears.

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A generation new arise!

To stand on ground that we have trod; Live for the sight that thrills our eyes, The sight of kingdom brotherhood!

This touched a deep nerve among us and some wept. As Noel ministered, pride in our heritage sprang up again. Treasures were unearthed and the simplicity and beauty of God's kingdom shone out. As I looked around, I thanked God for the many younger ones ready to launch us into the future. Some were already in leadership, for now we had a hundred elders and many trainee 'Leading Serving Brothers'.

Most of the leaders needed to move in greater confidence, so we arranged monthly 'Elisha' training sessions where leaders could be encouraged and put through their paces. The leaders' meeting at Cornhill now started in the mid-afternoon.

Noel would speak informally and then we would split into groups to pray and share together. The serious old guys (even the young ones) looked as though they needed loosening up.

'Right, sit back,' said Noel one afternoon. 'I'm going to play you part of a Wimber tape.' We looked surprised and smiled, winked or frowned at one another. This was a new departure.

We were aware of a 'third wave' in the Christian church, but hadn't seen it all as quite our scene. We listened to the tape of John Wimber chatting to a large gathering of leaders about the need for emotional healing and release. Then he asked the Spirit to take over.

'Let it come!' Wimber said quietly.

'Let the fire fall!' he said more loudly.

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Slowly we heard the sobbing start, then outbreaks of crying and laughter until the auditorium sounded like a farmyard! Most of us enjoyed the tape and felt it was probably what we needed. We went home saying, 'Let it come! Let it come!' in an American accent and wondered what was in store!

In 1987 the Jesus Army had burst on the scene, and was here to stay. We had pushed outwards in our church-household planting and now had additional houses in Northampton, Kettering, Hastings, Hinckley and Leicester. Battlecentre in Acton, London, was also a significant new development. We had seen two years of 'explosive pioneering'. By the end of December there were 49 households with 900 adults in covenant and 200 children.

Mike 'Rockfast' wrote to Noel of the need for a sabbath, a year of rest. The church had to regather strength. Expansion in business and community had stretched us to the limit. We lacked extra finance and leadership and many needed refreshing. 1988 must be a year of waiting on God, of inspiration and rediscovery of Zion. Noel (ever dynamic) agreed, but saw it as a stepping stone to even greater activity. 1988 and 1989 must be vital years of preparation for a massive launch into the nineties. We had only just begun!

In the early spring, prophetic wisdom indicated that a fresh wave of spiritual power lay ahead for us. We were shown that as we moved into a new level of worship, God would bring to us a new and powerful anointing. This would be as holy fire, infectious and unstoppable and would bring upon us a mantle of love-power that would reach the hearts of men. Zion

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would yet be a 'city sought out', a clear trumpet sounding in the nation.

We were reaching into our destiny. Yet still we were lacking. What of deeper purity and sanctification? And what of greater power? We continued to hear interesting things of the ministry of John Wimber and Reinhard Bonnke, but were reserved about the spectacular: what some called 'being slain in the Spirit', and so on. It was intriguing, 'But,' we asked, 'does it build the church?'

Nonetheless, some of us, like Bill 'Truthful', were keen to see God's power demonstrated in such ways. When Bill prayed over a drug-dealer at the end of March For Jesus in London, the guy was floored by the Holy Spirit!

March for Jesus, held in April 1988, and organised by national Christian leaders, was a new departure for us. We frantically learned Graham Kendrick's songs and sent 400 'soldiers' down to London to join in the March. Enthusiastic, combat-jacketed, original and noisy, we marched past Gerald

Coates, Roger Forster and the other charismatic leaders. A few eyebrows were raised, but they had known we were coming and we felt accepted. The response from fellow Christians was heartening.

'Hey! You look great! Who are the Jesus Army then?'

'You heard of the Jesus People... or Bugbrooke?'

'Bugbrooke?... Bugbrooke!! (You could see wheels turning rapidly in their minds.) The smiles faded and returned: 'Well, good on you! Praise God! Times are changing!'

They were. It was time to bury differences. The harvest was great and we needed to join hands for revival. Our warm (if cautious) reception encouraged Noel. His seat in the of-

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fice was taken over by the farm cat as he went off round the country visiting Christian leaders. The day of communication had arrived.

Another spin-off from the March was the birth of our music group. The songs we learned opened us up to other Christian music and we caught up on the praise songs of recent years.

Praise took us back into liberty. At the Easter Jesus Army

Festival we leapt, danced, stood on chairs, waved scarves and sang 'Jesus is Risen!' We shocked even ourselves as we threw off our inhibitions. But worse was to follow!

Reinhard Bonnke was partly to blame. In July Noel, with others, called in on the Eurofire Conference at Birmingham and there people were 'falling under the power'. Noel was impressed but still a little sceptical.

'Well, God likes this, even if I don't,' he thought. The Spirit urged him to 'go for it' so he wasted no time and introduced it at the young leaders' meeting the next day. Two days after that was the beginning of our annual church week. Seven newly-baptised members lined up to make their covenant pledge and receive the right hand of fellowship.

'Right! If brethren could stand behind them,' said Noel (as if it was always done like this!). As he moved along the row laying hands on each of them, they went down like nine-pins!

'Anybody who wants prayer for the anointing, just come to the front,' Noel offered.

'Bill "Truthful", come and give me a hand!'

From then on, all heaven was let loose. It was chaos! There were people on the floor everywhere, heaped up on the platform, or sprawled all over the auditorium. The musicians tried to strike up some worship songs, but it had gone beyond that.

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One leader rolled under his seat in a daze, laughing uncontrollably. He was the first of many to be carried home.

A whirlwind swept over the church. Some responded like concrete blocks but others were as leaves in a gale. The fire spread and households flared up with spiritual activity. The new anointing immediately exposed the powers of darkness and a number of us were delivered from long-standing problems. Demons were expelled and the supernatural was almost commonplace.

Many, like Janice, found emotional healing. 'A real joy hit my being and worship rose powerfully,' she wrote. 'All the strength went from my knees and I fell to the ground. I found amazing joy and love for my Lord as I'd never experienced before. I was aware of the meeting but unable to move till laughter in great waves rolled over me. It was so healing, as hurts and discouragements just melted away.'96

As the days went by we saw the funniest sights. Janice slipped under her desk at Skaino — incapable. In the same office, Ian 'Willing', one of our leaders at New Creation Hall, was too weak to leave his seat. Henry, his fellow elder, took him home in a Goodness Foods lorry. But Henry soon came under the anointing and they had to pull into a lay-by!

When the Tuesday Agape came round, Henry went to bless the wine and burst out laughing.

'Lord,' he said recovering himself, 'how good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell in unity.'

'Oooh!' exclaimed Ian. 'Say that again!'

'How good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell in unity.'

Ian reeled backwards, went bright red and began to tremble on the floor, overcome by God's power. Then Chris, a larger

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elder, crashed down and began to breathe heavily and twitch, as if he'd been connected to the mains! Others fell and lay on the floor laughing, weeping or looking quietly beatified. I surveyed the scene amazed, amused, and annoyed at my calmness. I'd read lots about revivals, mystics and pentecostals.

Raptures, visions and crisis experiences were marvellous in my eyes — but they never happened to me. Oh well.

Linda went down with her hands clasped gracefully like a praying madonna. She lay there all night. About one in the morning someone threw a quilt over her.

The word "covenant" was burned into my heart,' she said.

'Something happened inside, and I've never really been the same.'

The Birmingham campaign followed a few days later and Linda was there as an evangelist. One night she saw lights in the darkness of her room and sensed the angels. She wrote: 'In the mornings the team prayed for the anointing before going out. We were getting bold and God touched people when we prayed with them. One or two even landed on the pavement, and some of our own evangelists had to be carried back to the bus!'

'What will happen at the leaders' meeting?' we thought. When it came, Noel spoke from Scripture about falling and trembling under the power of God. He expected a time of weeping away past sins, and emotional hurts, but soon the King's Room at Cornhill was in an uproar. Laughter was everywhere — great guffaws and belly laughs! One brother swayed on his feet groaning and bellowing as Noel tried to minister. He gave up! Respected elders were rolling on the floor clutching their stomachs. Others were in varying degrees of consciousness.

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'A sense of awe descended on us,' wrote one young leader.

'I heard the words "Lord anoint this one..." then the floor gave way, and I felt myself caught up into the heavenlies. I lay there for hours, trembling and talking in tongues. Time appeared unimportant as I bathed in God's presence. Later they dragged me into the minibus, got me home, and put me to bed. I stayed there for hours but not asleep, and came to about five in the morning with praises on my lips and peace in my soul.'97

An evangelists' gathering ended up the same way. Cornhill

Manor had never seen such days. One brother was delivered of a spirit of rejection as he lay under the power of God. It wasn't long before his 'mouth was filled with laughter, and his tongue with singing'. Even I got a little 'inebriated'! But as Peter had said at Pentecost, 'These men are not drunk, as you suppose' (Acts 2:15). They were filled with God.

Linda saw the room on fire! A flaming sword hurtled towards her and she went over. Gripped by God, her senses were paralysed. An awesome presence pervaded her soul and she felt as if she were held in the very sanctuary of God.

'I read St Teresa shortly afterwards,' she told me casually and I thought, "That's it! That's how I felt."'

'Man!' I thought and realised the truth afresh: 'In the last days, God says, I will pout out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams' (Acts 2:17). In the Bible, ecstasies, trances and fallings under the power were well-known and happened to men like Peter, John, and Paul.98

There were later pioneers: mystics, Quakers, Methodists and the like, but since the awakening at the turn of the twen-

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tieth century, these experiences had become widespread. Now we lived in days of pentecostal spirituality. Singing in tongues, miracles, visions and raptures — all were New Testament phenomena. And they happened now!

And so we approached the end of a memorable year. The new wave of power had landed us on higher ground. Twenty years had passed since the Holy Spirit had first fallen on the manse in Bugbrooke. One of our stewards was then a village teenager laughing under the manse chairs. He was now doing it in our Celebrate Jesus gatherings — along with his son!

1988 had been, to quote our new generation of hippies, 'Amazing!' But, amidst all the supernatural activities of that summer, the word of God had emerged, giving us clear prophetic direction. With a fresh anointing, and a renewed sense of destiny, we were to take our place in the mainstream of God's purposes in Britain.

The years ahead seemed full of hope for all who could hear the 'sound of marching'. It appeared to many that revival was drawing near and a new dawn was breaking in British Christianity. Noel's vision now was of a 'fire movement' in Britain

— a million people ablaze for Christ's kingdom: Twenty years ago we were caught up in the charismatic movement. Christians everywhere received the bubbling, liberating baptism of the Spirit. Hundreds of churches found new vitality. Now there is a new beginning. New fires are being lit!

Another movement of God has begun! And the power of a throbbing holiness is going to drive back the forces of moral decadence in this nation.99

Communicate!

1989-1993

24 Flowing with the Mainstream

I saw a beam of light that was slowly emerging out of a dark mist. As it came into focus I could now see it was a city whose light was of many beautiful colours. This was so striking that many, who'd paid little attention to it while it was in the mist, now looked on with great interest.

Of all the colours of this city, gold was the most powerful and represented the kingship of Christ among his people. Deep red symbolised the blood of Jesus proclaimed in power. A penetrating white stood for the purity of lives laid down and shared in community. Weaving through them all was a fresh green light: a fearless army who were reaching out to those who were lost in the blackness all around.

The Holy Spirit brought this vivid picture to Pete 'Just' shortly before the Jesus Army was launched. We adopted these colours for our banners. By 1989, after the impact of the FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! anointings, many were seeing us in a new light as we entered a major phase of communication. After pondering on the 'wisdom picture' he'd seen, Pete explained: For many years God kept us in a mist of quietness, misunderstanding and rural isolation. In this way he caused our colours to develop undisturbed and uninfluenced by others. Through much patient endurance God has established our foundations and given us some radical distinctives. We can be confident as we arise and shine as the Jesus Army.

God had been urging Christians in Britain to tear down barriers, to forgive and to support one another. We had responded and were now building bonds of trust with others. The outcome was dramatic. As we flowed with the mainstream we found ourselves being swept along by a new wave of the Spirit.

Heaven alone knew where it would lead us!

The second half of 1988 had run its chaotic course as the new wine stretched, burst, and overflowed the wineskins of our hearts. God was healing our emotions, bringing a deeper sense of his love and rekindling the fires of worship. None but the cynical could fail to realise that we were entering a new era.

The Jesus Army was carried along into 1989 with an unparalleled freshness and creativity. This expressed itself in music and dance. We threw ourselves into wild praise and invited others to 'Celebrate Jesus and Catch Fire' with us. Praise brought tremendous spiritual release and the upbeat style of music communicated the strength of the gospel.

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It was fun too, and the celebrations we held throughout the country ended with streamers, balloons, party-poppers and air-horns. Our liberty had grown once more to 'worrying' proportions and I got a lot of exercise dancing in these meetings (writers need it!)

The music group led us into unexplored regions of worship, and some of us (brought up on Bach) were amazed to hear sanctified disco-sounds, as guitars and drums, keyboard, fiddle and flute joined in praise to God. Together we found jubilation and joy, as adoration songs from the Vineyard Fellowship, the melodies of Graham Kendrick, and prophetic songs from the People of Destiny blended with our own to convey the energy and anointing of the Spirit.

Many responded to the powerful atmosphere of these celebrations and streamed forward to meet with God, or were filled (and felled) by the Spirit where they stood. It was when God's temple was filled with music and praise that the cloud of glory came down100. Music was high on God's agenda.

The anointing that inspired celebration was still urging us to communicate, to take risks in this area, and to be vulnerable.

Noel had already enjoyed renewed friendships with men like

Gerald Coates and Roger Forster. Now, he reached out further, visiting many other leaders and sharing with them.

Interviews with these 'men of vision' soon appeared in Jesus Lifestyle which had quickly changed from a small magazine on community lifestyle into a 32-page quarterly of wide prophetic thrust.

We had our own contribution to make to the Christian scene: special treasures like covenant love, celibate commitment, FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! community life and compassionate street work. Other streams like Ichthus and Pioneer had developed their own distinctives and we were beginning to enrich one another.

Flowing with the mainstream was a whole new chapter in our story. What was now happening amongst us was precious.

I wept to see our church becoming young again. At times we had been proud and pushy. The sword we wielded had wounded people unnecessarily. But God had applied it to us.

We had tasted humiliation, rejection, failure; God's woundings had caused us to need others, to recognise our mistakes and weaknesses, to forgive and be forgiven. And through that open door sprang a new anointing.

Noel's new vulnerability touched me, his painstaking efforts at reconciliation and the genuineness of his vision for Britain. But some Christians elsewhere doubted his motives.

Was it all a cosmetic job? Another ruse to sign people up, promote ourselves? Cynicism came our way and it hurt — tremendously.

We held a big Celebration that April in Westminster Central

Hall, London. There we presented our first Jesus Army video, Fighting For You, along with Reinhard Bonnke's A Blood

Washed Africa. Also a well known worship leader joined us for the evening. The next day in Basingstoke, he sported a sweatshirt with these words: Dave Bilbrough appeared with the Jesus Army

And survived!

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Dave's warm-hearted support provoked a fresh burst of controversy in the magazine 21st Century Christian. The editor had to call a halt to the avalanche of letters with a final word from John Noble pointing out: 'All the criticisms of Noel Stanton and the Jesus Army were also made of William Booth and the Salvation Army.'101

John stepped forward at a crucial time for us. As a pioneer in the house churches himself, he was convinced that God's agenda was far wider than restorationism, renewalism, or any other 'ism'. We were grateful for his support, for this was no time to be isolated and ostracised.

Criticisms continued to come our way but it was the heart to heart exchanges, the integrity of Jesus Lifestyle, our compassionate outreach and the genuine efforts to 'pursue peace with all men' that helped soften suspicions about the Jesus

Army. It might take a few years and we wouldn't please everybody (sharp swords aren't meant to!) but, as Roger Forster assured us, many now admired what we were doing.

The Spirit brought a surge of creativity in the whole area of communication. Photographers, writers and editors; art, design and graphics bods; technicians, musicians and songwriters all put their talents to work. Rufus came into his own in prophetic drama and a host of prop-makers arose in his train.

John 'Good', the part-time cattleman, played stage manager for the Celebrate Jesus events. (When the smoke-machine went wrong, John was to blame!)

We developed our own Jesus Fellowship Resources. An old outhouse at Sheepfold Grange was converted into a sound studio where Andy, the lead-guitarist, edited some live wor-

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! ship tapes. At Festal Grange John 'Perceptive', our communications man, took over the attic as a video studio, adding it to his poky office and darkroom.

The circulation of Jesus Lifestyle mushroomed and was now reaching many countries. Literature that originated from a little village in England was being read in Spain and Russia.

One magazine was picked up from a dusty African road on the way to market! In fact, an overwhelming number of letters began to flood in from Africa with requests for help, money and Jesus Army jackets!

Our influence was far wider than we'd imagined. Some looked to us as pioneers. Others waited in the wings to see how things would turn out. A few groups wanted a closer link with us, so we arranged occasional gatherings at Battlecentre in London where leaders of other churches could meet with us over a meal for friendship and encouragement.

As well as offering encouragement, we also had a lot to receive. From the fiery zeal of Bonnke to the relaxed humour of Wimber there was so much by way of example. Noel would return from his Christian travels with more than just new friendships: anointed songs, ideas, advice and sheer examples of skill.

One example was the New Zealander, Bill Subritzsky. We had often cast out demons, but Bill had something to teach us. The accuracy of his words of knowledge, his sensitivity and the success with which he ministered, all impressed us.

At our July conference we watched him on video. Then, as we challenged the demons ourselves, the place erupted with the FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! sounds of screaming, coughing and vomiting. God's temple was being cleansed and some nasty squatters removed!

But even more inspiring that summer were the delicate experiences some had of smelling beautiful perfume, feeling a gentle breeze or sensing the presence of angels.

God had created a culture-shock amongst us. Fresh sight blew away narrow-heartedness, opened up new horizons and baptised us into an awareness of God's movement world-wide.

We felt his heart-throb for the nation and his urge to reach the unreached. It permeated the songs we sang; 'I have a destiny', 'We'll walk this land', and 'Heal this nation'.

'Rise up you champions of God!' we cried — 'we'll reach this generation'. But how? How could we touch a generation so desperate for reality? Only by being approachable and relevant. To reach and win people was the fire in our hearts that demanded constant change, ever-fresh initiatives.

Before the melting experiences of 1988 there was a degree of stiffness in our bones, of awkwardness in our style and of narrowness in our approach. God coloured us in. We became warm and attractive again.

Symbolically the now rather drab and tatty combat jackets were laid aside in preference for bright tee-shirts and sweatshirts. New 'space-age' jackets were also on their way. Mottled in red, green, blue, black, brown and khaki, with yellow patches — the Jesus Army would be about as camouflaged as a parakeet in Trafalgar Square!

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That summer we scattered 75,000 highly coloured Jesus Revolution Streetpapers around cities, towns, beaches and festivals. (At least one road sweeper came to the Lord!)

We felt the time was ripe for a new Jesus movement — for Christians to swarm the streets, promoting Jesus as the hero of the 90s. It was now twenty years since Britain had seen such an upsurge of excitement amongst the youth with all their 'Give us a J!' shouts and 'One Way' signals.

Noel (who aims to initiate something every day) came up with a greeting for the 90s Jesus Movement. When you meet a Christian, whether in the street or a crowded supermarket, you lift your right hand and with five fingers spread out (representing the five letters of Jesus) you shout 'JESUS!' to him.

Hopefully he returns the greeting. The 'Say Jesus' campaign was launched, complete with tee-shirts, badges and stickers, at our summer festival.

These bank-holiday festivals, now held three times a year in the Giant Marquee at Cornhill, were becoming major landmarks in our calendar. Many stayed in our community houses.

With so many guests around, this generated a very lively and brotherly atmosphere.

The programme began with baptisms on Friday evening and finished on Monday with a queue of people telling how

God had met them over the festival. Some of the stories were hilarious, others deeply moving. Sandwiched in between was a lot of vigorous preaching, the occasional video, much personal ministry, music, praise and rolling in the aisles (for some). As a leader of King's Church, Chatham, remarked at the microphone, 'If I'd known the meetings were going to be this long I'd have brought my flask and sleeping bag!'

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The Spirit that urged us to celebrate and communicate inspired us into greater evangelism. Our frontiers opened out.

Mick 'Temperate' was church-planting in Liverpool using a rented house as a base. His team travelled up from Birmingham gathering new friends and developing links with local leaders, but not without some opposition.

Kelly was on the go in Glasgow and others were pioneering in Sheffield, Norwich and Oxford. We held 'Beachfire' missions in coastal resorts and Pete, our Dutch medic, took a team to Amsterdam. The English double-decker had to have its tyres deflated to get under the bridges! Proud thing.

At Glastonbury Festival we joined with groups like YWAM and British Youth For Christ as part of Vic Jackopson's 'Hope

Now' team. The evangelists provided a real Christian presence there and more than one searcher was baptised in a barrel of water!

Once a month we ran four-day missions in London known as EDP (Eat, Drink and Pray!) Brothers and sisters would walk the streets well into the small hours befriending nightclubbers and the homeless. At intervals they would return to the warm bus at Trafalgar Square, sit their friends down with a cup of tea and fix them a hot meal. They shared God's love and often prayed with them.

Dave Wilkerson once prophesied that God would 'adopt the lost generation'. We found the young homeless very open to God. Spiritual experience and brotherly love made a big impact on them. Quite a few came back to community, and the Farm, especially, began to burst at the seams with young men finding life in Jesus, a family and a cause to fight for.

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On our part, we needed to be gracious and tolerant. Without the soul-healing dynamite of the Spirit some of us fuddyduddies would never have got there! As it was, it seemed like things were hotting up. Revival was in the air.

At our August Festival we staged some drama which brought home this sense of a spiritual awakening. Lights went out in the Golden Marquee as the keyboards built up some intriguing sounds. The narrator (a heavily-bearded Rufus) was reading from Ezekiel 37: 'So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying there was a noise and the bones came together, bone to bone.'

A puff of smoke, a play of coloured beams, and three skeletons jerked upwards from the stage! Gasps arose from the thousand-strong crowd. But before they could recover there was a quick light change and the skeletons were replaced by a host of farm brothers standing perfectly still, dressed as the fierce warriors of Israel.

Some of our friends from Chatham looked mildly surprised.

Mind you, they'd seen us doing 'prophetic drama'102 down in London. Rufus was in his element.

'Come O breath! Breathe into these slain that they may live!'

The music grew stronger as it portrayed the swirling winds of God's power. At its climax Rufus thundered: 'They came to life and stood up on their feet, a vast army!'

As the motley bunch of ex-homeless, converted new-agers, travellers and old stagers threw themselves into a wild dance, we all sang, 'Mighty warrior, dressed for battle!' 'Dry bones'

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! were springing to life in this land and taking their place in God's army.

On the eve of the nineties we all met together for a bumper

Celebration in Northampton. Noel spoke of what lay ahead: 'Beloved, the nineties will be a time of great victories in the midst of great pain. You see, it's warfare! Praise God we're fighting, and not drifting! It's a wonderful thing — all that God has brought us into. Thank God we responded!

'Now the hours of an old decade are dwindling away. For us, nothing is negative, either now or in the future. As I read

Acts 2 and 4, I'm twice as enthusiastic about Pentecost and community lifestyle as I've ever been. Nothing I've found in my travels has persuaded me there is anything better. There isn't!

'So let us stand with our brethren and sound the trumpet more clearly than ever before. And in this nation where sin and desolation have reigned, there will arise the glorious sound of the triumphs of the gospel!'

The Spirit's wind was blowing stronger now — not only through obscure little chapels, but over peoples and nations.

As the last day of a decade rolled by, who could not feel that this was an hour of destiny? So we sang: FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE!

For the glory of the Lord, we advance united!

Following Christ's blazing sword, his dominion sighted.

All that has been taken, it shall be restored!

This eternal anthem: 'For the glory of the Lord!'103

Before the midnight chimes of Big Ben were relayed to us from London, many flocked onto the stage to rededicate their lives to God. Others moved around praying and counselling.

Then the floor was cleared for a dramatic sketch based on the message of Luke 14 and Matthew 21: a king sent out messengers to call his people to a feast but these despised his invitation and beat the messengers. So he sent them out a second time to bring in the homeless, the needy and the poor.

And these feasted at his table.

There was a buoyant spirit around and some of us, seeing our friends putting on a superb act, were reduced to tears of laughter. But at one point the action paused. As the lights dimmed and the laughter faded away, Rufus walked on in rags, sat on the table and spoke gently to the audience: 'You know, it's all for real.

'It seems to me that the call of God starts with the religious. And he had a pretty good go at getting through to the likes of me and you! But there comes a time when the Lord says: "Look, there are people out there who are hungry and thirsty and desperate." And then he needs messengers who are willing to go. And that's me and you.

'And that's serious. Because Britain is hard and people are cold, spiritually. We've got to relate to where people really

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! are. We've got to get down on their level. We've got to weep if we're going to heal the weeping. We've got to feel rejection if we're going to get to the rejected. You see what I'm saying?

And that's God's call to us as Christians — to be his messengers for the nineties.

'And let's face it! We may never see a sudden explosion.

We're going to know a lot of hard work. A lot of tears. A lot of rejection. Probably receive a little bit of violence as well. Are you ready for that?

'Because the reward is beautiful. The palace of the King is going to be filled — not just in the eternal kingdom — but here on earth. That is, people can be brought in to the banquet feast here and now.

'But we've got to do it and take the beatings. We've got to do it and take the rejections. We've got to do it and take the critical looks. And most of all, we've got to do it together — as servants of the King.'

25 Refiner's Fire

1989-1990

During the summer of 1989 disaster had suddenly struck New

Creation Farm. Driving up to the Farm office one afternoon I noticed that smoke was pouring into the sky above the hill on which the Farmhouse stood. I guessed that a haystack had caught fire.

But when I reached the top of the drive the stark reality hit me. Flames were leaping high into the air. The pigyard was a raging inferno. Haystacks, sheds and poplar trees were all alight. Women and children looked on in horror. The Farm brothers ran around desperately carrying squealing piglets to safety as the smoke and smell of the roaring fire increased.

Worse was to follow, it seemed, for the wind was steadily blowing a wall of fire towards the house. Soon New Creation

Farm would be engulfed. Noel and the others in the office started praying and commanding the flames to retreat. The FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! wind dropped, the firemen arrived and the advancing flames began to falter.

Thus far and no further would they come. Some of the poplar trees, the proud protectors of our large orchard, had already been destroyed. But the tree nearest the house remained unburnt, a silent witness to God's intervention.

These natural events now seemed highly symbolic. A spiritual fire was raging through the church and some of her trusted 'protectors' were going through the flames.

A prophecy, written just before the new anointing, had warned that God would 'search our motives, chase out deadness and awaken the very soil in which Zion was planted'.

So it proved to be. The Spirit we had first experienced as sweet wine and healing oil now came as gales of upheaval and fires of cleansing. At the height of the anointings God had spoken about this very dramatically to two brothers.

The leaders' meeting was going wild. Many were shaking, laughing, crying and falling under the power of God. As Rufus was quietly praying he saw a field of wheat. At its centre a swirling storm was brewing up. Rufus opened his eyes to view the present chaos.

'Wow! Is this really happening?'

Steve 'Capable' was spinning like a top, swirling round and round, his arms going up and down, his body swaying and bending. Lower and lower he swept, faster and faster.

We looked aghast.

'Amazing!' said some.

'Demonic!' muttered others.

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'Prophetic!' whispered Rufus.

'Impossible!' thought Steve as an unseen hand lowered him onto the floor. He landed, his legs shaking violently and his head banging from side to side on the wooden floor of the King's Room at Cornhill. Steve felt an incredible peace, a mental clarity and a beautiful closeness to God. Physically, it was impossible — the angle and speed. Spinning of any kind made Steve feel sick. But he felt wonderful.

'What's going on, Lord?' he asked.

God spoke in his heart: 'This is a sign. I'm doing a new thing and there will be upheaval. I'm shaking up the whole mindset of your church.'

Steve remembered how God told Peter, in a trance, to eat what was unclean and then sent him to the non-Jews.104 'What I am doing will be equally shocking,' the Lord said.

'This new direction will take you forward into my purposes. I hate your nice British culture. Mine is a new creation. I will bring upheaval and there will be division.'

Steve sensed a group of leaders who were standing outside the circle, detached and cynical. He knew they wouldn't last in that condition. The Spirit continued to speak: 'Some looking on think this is demonic, counterfeit. The reverse is true. People in this nation have been seeing the counterfeit for too long. Now is the time for the real thing, a demonstration of a supernatural Christian counterculture. The counterfeit, the cults, the New Age — all these are but imitations. This will be my culture, my Zion.'

Now, a year later, there was a divine insecurity around. God was disturbing us, bringing back the freshness, buzz, and FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! sense of adventure we'd known at the start. But as we entered the new era some clung to the past. Others held onto wrong attitudes: self-righteousness, hypocrisy, lukewarmness and legalism. As God shook us up everything came to the surface. Hearts came out for good or ill. And in the midst of the shaking some of us were caught out.

Over the years some had been unable to cope with our pioneering and had left. Any army on the advance has its losses.

But now there was a double reaction. Some welcomed our new direction as offering them a broader path and the opportunity to embrace the world. Others were too narrow and resisted the innovations, whether boisterous praise, drama, videos, flashing lights or flowing with the mainstream.

As for Noel, he seemed an annoying blend of stubbornness and flexibility. Though resistant to criticism, he was full of surprises and ready for change. When sufficiently convinced, he could enthusiastically preach what he had once had little time for. Some couldn't take that. They saw the way we were now going as a sell-out, the end of what we'd fought and sacrificed for. They lost confidence in the prophetic direction and became cynical.

Amongst those caught up in this was the senior man at Cornhill. Mark had been with us almost from the beginning and typified all we were in terms of 'Zion'. A leading celibate, his emphasis was on purity, unworldliness and brotherhood. Mark was highly regarded and influential.

Over recent years he'd developed reservations about the direction we were taking and, despite being one of Noel's closest advisors, was unable to resolve them. Mark wasn't keen on the Jesus Army image, nor was he impressed with all

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! the changes that had come from hob-knobbing with other charismatics. Shoutings and shakings, dancing and drama were, in his eyes, so many fireworks that distracted us from our true calling.

Most of us were happy with the new direction, but those who resisted it increasingly lost their bearings. Some of them gravitated towards Mark, who became more and more bogged down with their problems. The new anointings came as a divide. The cloud moved on, and those who did not move with it found themselves struggling.

The whole Fellowship was going through a time of sifting and refining. The central ground was under attack and enthusiasm for our special distinctives was being eroded in the minds of some of our members.

Families who'd found it hard to keep up with the pace in the Jesus Army were tempted to compare our rigorous standards with the less demanding lifestyles enjoyed in other Christian scenes. Maybe community, or even covenant commitment, wasn't such an important issue after all, they thought.

Some celibates began to question their lifelong vows; a few brothers were losing their way by getting too involved with sisters. The London household was badly hit when their main celibate brother and a leading sister whom he pastored suddenly left together.

September 1989 was declared a month of cleansing. The outward move into the mainstream had partly strengthened, partly weakened our central vision. It was sorting people out.

The focus now shifted to the internal strength of the church: her holiness, distinctives and prophetic call.

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Victor, myself and Justin, a bright-eyed hippie, met privately to encourage one another in the pursuit of holiness. Wesley was a major inspiration to us at the time:

Refiner's fire go though my heart,

Illuminate my soul. Scatter

Thy life through every part

And sanctify the whole.

The experience of 'entire sanctification' had been at the heart of the Methodist revival and the Salvation Army and we wondered if it was a treasure to be recovered in our day.

A much broader group of brothers and sisters, led by Steve 'Capable', rose once a week before dawn and converged on New Creation Hall to pray. There, above the foodstore, inspiration flowed as the 'watchmen' prayed, lay prostrate, listened to God and gained fresh vision. Prophetic wisdom came thick and fast; judgement had begun at the house of God.

God was humbling and purifying his people.

That autumn we reprinted an article by John Wimber, whose Vineyard churches had received some corrective input from Paul Cain. God was pruning many vineyards, exposing sin, humbling the proud and creating holiness. John wrote: The true call of the church is to the cross. We are called to die to ourselves and the world. This might mean lowering standards of living and giving up a significant amount of recreational and entertainment time for higher purposes.105

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John Wimber felt that Western Christianity was lukewarm and needed to repent of its materialism. God was after servants not self-helpers. With the people crying out for reality, God was intent on blasting away the blockages in the church and getting us into shape for the harvest.

1990 opened with tremendous vision for Christians in Britain. Life and colour was invading the churches and everybody was talking (and writing) about revival. We too were expectant. Men Alive for God, our own leaders meetings and the first Wembley Praise-Day all carried a 'buzz'.

Noisy, colourful and powerful, Wembley was for us a landmark, a prophetic pointer to the wide and warm-hearted friendship that was beginning to characterise Christian leadership in Britain. As John Noble shared, he admired the fiery spirit of Peter, but we also needed the heart of John to mend the nets. Philip Mohabir from the Afro-Caribbean Evangelical Alliance moved some of us to tears as he pleaded for a 'passionate passion' and for the healing of divisions.

We realised there was a need for us to forgive. This was emphasised by some wisdom that a sister had received.

I saw a beautiful city. It stood on a hill whose warm red glow was drawing the people like a magnet. The hill was made up of thousands of interlocking tiles. Each tile represented a single act of forgiveness. 'Because there has been so much forgiveness,' the Lord said, 'I have been able to raise my city high. But should you not forgive, then it will sink and none shall see her beauty.'

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We determined to forgive one another and to forgive all who'd written or spoken against us. We also took what steps we could to be reunited in heart with the Baptist Union and the Evangelical Alliance. We prepared a Declaration for Wembley in which we resolved 'to love, forgive and encourage one another and enthusiastically believe that fires of revival are breaking out in church and nation.'

At Wembley, Lynn Green from YWAM challenged us to catch some of the fire now blazing in much of the third world and to plant churches throughout Britain. We had already set targets for church-planting but resources were low and some problems still unresolved. We opened a new house in Oxford but it was our only purchase. 1990 was a year for mending nets.

The tearing and repairing went on. Church membership was growing but more were moving out of community than in. These included a handful of committed celibates who now wanted to marry. Such breakdowns in celibacy showed the need for pure motives, caution and wisdom in dealing with a gift as vulnerable as it was precious. We urged a trial year before making a celibate vow.

Happily many who struggled with temptations found a deeper reality, not in repressing their emotions, but in rekindling their passion for Jesus. First love was really what all this upheaval was about.

At the Easter Festival the theme was full surrender. Many came forward for 'sanctification' but I found it hard to believe that all who shot their hand up afterwards had really entered the sunlit regions of perfect love. Especially those who then lit up outside!

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE!

By this time I was between the millstones. I'd moved to Oxford full of vision and expected God's glory to follow my ministry. I wanted to call the new place 'Shekinah House'.

'Crucifixion House would be more like it,' retorted Noel. He was right, of course. God's agenda of humbling proud leaders graciously took me in. Desolation and inadequacy clipped my wings. I forsook my crumbling celibate commitment, relinquished all my apostolic aspirations and came home with a broken heart.

More serious was the situation with the critics. The boil of cynicism seemed to be growing. Noel's interest in the 'prophetic movement' did little to please them. During the May Festival we listened to a tape about the 'Kansas City prophets' with their uncanny words of knowledge and predictions of fireballs of revival falling on London.

When Roger Forster went to see Paul Cain, Paul prophesied over him: 'There's a breakthrough like you've never dreamed of. God's new thing is coming to England, and he's going to call it his strange act. It is going to be revolutionary.'

Though we couldn't approve of everything we heard about them, these men did bring a timely emphasis on the prophetic dimension — especially as it related to purity in the church.

Amongst us things came to a head. During the festival some of the community stalwarts stood at the back of the marquee or disappeared into the grounds. It was all too much; all this bopping to the beat and falling around!

'What's Zion coming to?' they murmured. 'Spirituality means holiness and discipleship, not a load of circus dramatics.'

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As the July convocation came round, Mark and others abandoned ship. At Cornhill disillusionment threatened to set in.

Some there felt that God was judging their household. They prayed fervently and repented. Amidst a tottering scene, a banner of loyalty was raised and the humble stepped forward to fill the gap. Their young musician sang this lament to the church: For those who once walked in your light, For those who once fought with us in the fight, For those who have wandered away, For those ones we pray.

Rob walked off stage unable to finish and many wept.

The rest of the summer revealed the sad effect of compromise and human cleverness throughout the church. Well-established families were shaken and a few made a sad exit from community. Most remained in membership, but others left us completely with all the pain of breaking covenant.

Pete, my buddy from the Hall days, was on the way out with his family. It gutted us to see 'princes in Zion' and old friends leaving. Breaking covenant wasn't some kind of legalistic crime. It was more like divorce. We had stood side by side, had fought, loved, laughed and cried together. How could we forget that? These guys were precious. They were Zion's heart.

The senior men now closed ranks and trod gently in a situation which could have been very serious. The quality of relationships amongst its leaders determines the fate of any church. We had to get this right for the future.

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At our leaders meeting we sang 'For the glory of the Lord we advance united' with a new determination. But it was a chastened people who were entering the 90s. Building the church and bringing the gospel was nothing if not heartbreak.

We felt, deep down, that an amazing spiritual revolution would sweep Britain. But, as our songs reminded us, this meant 'sowing in tears', and 'bleeding with Jesus'.

A new wave of prophetic leadership emerged. Steve 'Capable' said goodbye to his sheep (woolly variety) at Plough Farm to rebuild the damaged household in London. Pete Valiant left Shalom farmhouse to take the helm at Cornhill. He arrived like Nehemiah; sat, listened and grieved. Then he rolled up his sleeves and got down to work. God gave Pete one word for Cornhill: 'Behold I make all things new.'

Huw, an Oxford man and old friend of mine, came to the fore combining school-teaching with magazine editing, church-planting and writing the occasional hymn. Huw oozed warmth and friendship and was a brilliant advert for celibacy. He wanted to see its cutting edge sharpened. 'Go for it if you dare!' he wrote in Jesus Lifestyle: The spirit of the world has invaded the church in this whole area. But God is raising up a band of spiritually undiluted men and women whose sacrificial offering and prophetic sharpness will be the strength of the future.106

Huw, Pete and Steve (and a married Rufus) were a part of God's move to establish the church in the new anointing.

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE!

At the August Festival Noel referred to The Gravedigger File by Os Guinness.107 This book spoke of the devil's strategy to subvert Western Christianity. Doubts and discouragement sown in the mind would produce cynicism causing the church to abandon its radical call. Only constant pursuit of the prophetic vision could stop the church digging its grave.

It was time to tackle cynicism head on. We launched a campaign to strengthen the heart of community and to sharpen up our distinctives. The previous year we'd used in our weekly

Agape a basic Bible study by Bob Gordon. We now focused on our own accumulated wisdom about 'Zion', setting out the biblical basis of our radical teachings and lifestyle.

Opening ourselves to the mainstream had threatened to blunt our prophetic edge. Easier paths were on offer. That was why we had once stood apart. The city needed to stay firmly on the hill, undiluted, undiminished and uncompromised if ever she was to meet the desperate need for God's alternative.

It was the Zion vision that had captured Steve 'Capable's' heart back in 1975. As a searcher and psychedelic hippie, Steve was looking for a spiritual counterculture. His instinct for holiness found a home in Jesus and amongst us.

Now Steve was a sensitive leader and the anointing that had swallowed up his negativity began to work wonders in London. The family at Battlecentre rallied to Steve's warmth and inspiration as he spoke of the city of God from Isaiah: 'Your sons come from afar and your daughters are carried on the arm. Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy' (Is 60:4, 5).

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Things began to happen. Ian 'Courageous', desperate to break with the cynicism in and around him, went down to join Steve. Another young leader who'd left us in frustration returned.

Steve correctly prophesied that the phone and the doorbell would be constantly ringing as people sought them out. Christians with real kingdom sight began to turn up — one arriving after the wind had wrapped a streetpaper round his feet!

During one mealtime Steve suddenly had a conviction that God would knit a black brother to them. He said so. The next day YWAM rang about a young man from Zimbabwe looking for a church. Edwin took to this vigorous brotherhood and made a lively addition to the London scene.

Glastonbury brought another 'son from afar'. Aussie Tim was on a world tour. He knew about Jesus but couldn't relate to the middle of the road Christianity he had encountered.

For him it was all or nothing. So he continued his pursuit of pleasure. Then a bad LSD trip at Glastonbury shook him. He stumbled his way to the Christian tent and gave his life to God. Back at London Tim seized the radical vision with both hands and soon took his stand for celibacy. Steve was delighted. Tim grinned. His girlfriend burst into tears.

So it went on. Other prophetic words were fulfilled. A strong core developed. Battlecentre became a 'city sought out.' Community, covenant brotherhood, consecration, celibacy; wherever the anointing flowed the four 'C's flourished. God showed us the reality of this in some very significant wisdom.

In the centre of Zion stood an old leather chest which contained the many treasures God had given us. A crowd of demons were FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! trying to drag the chest away and were meeting with some success. As I watched them, I grew anxious. Then suddenly a magnificent young lion sprang in and scattered the demons. He sat majestically on the box and guarded the treasure. To my horror, some were ordering him to go.

Ironically those who had feared for 'old Zion' fought most against her. They wanted a tame lion. But the anointing had come in wild and was renewing her. Only pride and legalism were blown out. The heart of it all, brotherhood love and radical New Testament faith, remained and was made young.

1990 had been a painful turning point. A second Wembley

Praise-Day later that year was a resounding success and received support from a very wide spectrum of church leaders.

Dave Fellingham from New Frontiers helped to lead the worship and spoke of many streams flowing together as one great river. Then the American, Larry Alberts, spoke with a prophetic clarity that said it all: 'God is shaking us. A sword is passing low over the body of Christ. The proud are being taken out.'

In the world, the nations too were being shaken, and in the climate of failed materialism people were turning to God. But only from a humbled church would God's river truly flow.

26 Jesus Revolution

The rock group explodes into action and 600 worshippers jump to their feet in an eruption of happiness. Arms stretched heavenwards, feet tapping, they sway together, exuberant in their song of praise. They belt out 'I believe in Jesus. I believe he is the Son of God.'

Many are in their late teens or early twenties. All are casually dressed. Disillusioned by the selfish, grabbing philosophy of the 80s, these new young Christian soldiers, many of whom come from broken homes or have been in trouble with the law, are seeking happiness and fulfilment. For more than an hour they sing their heart out until the atmosphere among the Jesus

Fellowship becomes electric. Then, standing in front of a huge banner proclaiming Love, Power and Sacrifice, their leader, Noel

Stanton, tells them; 'We are part of a revolution that is taking place in the land. A revolution of love, of joy, of justice.'108

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So ran a colourful centre-page spread in the Daily Mirror.

As 1991 broke upon us, national papers focused on the startling results of a UK church census that had just been released in the book 'Christian' England.109

As the Mirror informed us, 'Figures show that the evangelical movement is booming — fuelled by the more extreme charismatics.' The report continued: Half a million people have stopped going to church in the past

10 years, yet each Sunday 130 Christian soldiers swell the ranks of a new church army. While the pews are continuing to empty, a huge religious revival is underway.110

The Daily Mirror reported that 'house-churches have gathered more than 120,000 followers in an explosion of commitment.' It concluded: 'Though more traditional forms of religion are in decline, the new churches — noisy, informal passionate go from strength to strength.'111

The Independent On Sunday was also hot on the trail of these Christian enthusiasts and sent a journalist out to investigate. She arrived at our second Wembley Praise-Day: At the sound of the very first note, hundreds leapt to their feet with hope in their eyes and hunger in their hearts. There followed 12 hours of exhausting bouts of singing, excited preaching by a succession of speakers from around the world, and a circus of 'signs and wonders' as faith healers, exorcists, tongue talkers and prophets performed... And, on cue, hundreds poured forward to be saved.112

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The 'highly charged' atmosphere at Wembley was not unique. The reporter noted that, 'hundreds of such gatherings took place last year'. Her research ranged from John

Wimber, ex jazz-player, to George Carey, the new Archbishop of Canterbury; from the Evangelical Alliance and March for Jesus to new churches like Ichthus and Jesus Fellowship.

She judged that 'the continuing ascent of the evangelicals can only be accelerated this year'. The press had been alerted to an 'extraordinary charismatic renewal worldwide' — and it was transforming church life in the UK.

There was now a strong sense of destiny for Britain. The empty materialism of the 80s had produced a huge reaction and spiritual hunger was taking millions into drugs, mysticism and the occult. It was also drawing them to Jesus. As the media travelled from New Age sites like Findhorn, Glastonbury and Stonehenge, to the Jesus marches, Christian festivals and celebrations, they noted a major spiritual uprising in the UK.

We were in for an interesting decade as New Church and New Age movements both gathered momentum.

Fresh winds were also blowing into the more traditional

Church of England. But whatever form church life took, it needed to be sufficiently anointed and relevant to reach people.

The Daily Mirror had told the story of Frankie, one of a group of warm hearted and quick-witted young men whom the Farm brothers first met as homeless rogues in London: Frankie McGaughey, 19, had already served 11 months for burglary and was on the run with an 18-month suspended sentence

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! hanging over him, when he met two members of the Jesus Army.

'The world was doing my head in. I was a tear-away, a thug.

Prison didn't change me, it only made me worse. I changed when I decided to follow Jesus,' he said. 'I gave up crime and drinking. It's beautiful what Jesus can do. My mum can't believe the change in me.'113

When this issue reached his home town in Northern Ireland, all copies quickly sold out as people read the amazing news that 'bad' Frankie had been converted. Thousands heard

Frankie tell of his conversion on Irish radio.

Ronnie, a young Anglo-Indian, soon joined Frankie in his pilgrimage from the streets of London to the home-fires of the Farm. As Ronnie 'Zealous' told me: 'We got a lot of racial abuse in the East End. My dad got stabbed on his own doorstep. We had to board the windows up at night. For two years

I was living on the streets doing crime and dope. I knew about God and my conscience plagued me. Then three of us were invited up to the Farm for a weekend. As soon as I stepped into the house I knew I belonged. I could be myself. The next day there was a wedding in chapel. We skinned up and went for a smoke outside. Rufus was brilliant. He came out and prayed with us. I found the Lord in a big way.'

Roger Ellis, leader of Revelation, a new youth church in Chichester, made this observation to the Daily Mirror: 'Young people among us find a Christianity that is relevant to their everyday needs. Sometimes youngsters with nose rings and spiky hair aren't welcome in traditional churches. They don't feel comfortable. We welcome anyone. We don't say, "Get your FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! hair cut, take your earrings out, get a Cliff Richard smile." We say it's the heart that's important.'114

Charismatic worship had made some amazing inroads into the churches yet the mood was too often white, western, middle-class and selfish. So many were good with the comfortable, but not so bright with the outsiders and rebels.

During the 60s Jesus Movement in America many in the counterculture found in Jesus their model revolutionary — the Messiah who kicked the old system and established the new. Sadly few evangelicals were big enough to accommodate their unconventional zeal. Some of the hippies became cult fanatics. Others fizzled out. Those who stood were often isolated in a youth-culture which lacked the breadth of God's real alternative.

The searchers of the 60s found the establishment a turnoff. But things were changing. God's Spirit was breaking the chains of culture and freeing his people emotionally.

At our first Marquee campaign in Liverpool, Noel spoke of three breakthroughs — in the heavens, on the streets and in the church. The angelic war had been engaged and God's power was breaking through. Hearts were hungry as never before. The 60s Jesus Movement had barely touched this country but now a new wave was on its way. Thousands would find

God at festivals, on the beaches and in the streets. This was God's hour for the church as one favourite hymn declared: FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE!

The time has come to favour Zion,

The King of glory is marching in this land!

Oh, a mighty Jesus revolution

Is advancing! The kingdom is at hand!

One person was guaranteed to be ecstatic about all this, as my journal showed: Yesterday Huw and I bumped into an inspired Rufus on the blackcurrant field. He'd had a brilliant prayer walk with his new 'son'

Ronnie 'Zealous' and they'd prophesied together. He was full of this Jesus uprising; the hunger, teachability and readiness for sacrifice among the youth.

'Ah bro', he said, 'people are desperate for Jesus. They've tried everything. They know it's all a rip off. It never produced the goods. Now's the time for Jesus. They're talking about him.

They're singing about him. They're writing about him. The very earth is crying out for him. Can't you feel it? It's had enough of new-agers and priests and pagans. The very soil of Britain is thirsty for God!'

That summer we concentrated our faith and resources on the Jesus Revolution. Image and dress were progressively updated. Exuberance, festivity and buzz characterised a church that was beginning to put on its festal garments and dance through the streets. A drab nation needed a colourful church and all over Christendom God was waking his sleeping beauty.

Under a hot August sun we staged a Jesus Demonstration in Trafalgar Square. With the foot of Nelson's column adorned by a Revolution Flame banner and the band belting it out

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! between two bronze lions, we sang and danced the afternoon away in a fast moving programme of power, testimony and sheer exultation. Airbrushed tee-shirts, painted faces and break dancing emphasised its informality.

A new Jesus movement was taking off and we wanted to be in at the start. We were limbering up, getting God's new society out into the open. Fortunately we had a crop of new disciples like Frankie and Ronnie 'Zealous' who were better on the streets than us oldies. They'd been there.

Personally I liked the vision but took some time getting my head round it. Surely, God's revolution overturned the world's values. So what about this upbeat, like-unto-the-world stuff?

It was to communicate with the youth-culture. Hence the beat, the colour and the drama. The shock did us good, but it was really for those we were trying to reach.

Jesus called his people to be in the world but not of it. Gerald Coates reckoned that most Christians were better at being 'of the world but not in it'! We were finding the balance of being different, yet relevant.

Youngsters were hungry for warmth and experience. They found God 'mind-blowing', community 'amazing' and the music 'cool'. But it was love that kept them. Houses where love was weak stood half-empty. But houses where warm, inspired leaders devoted themselves to their 'sons' both grew and prospered. Battlecentre and the Farm were outstanding examples — as I noted in my journal: At a Farm prayer time, someone saw a pair of shoes. The next day Paul Raj, John Noble's friend from India, walked in, took off his shoes and worshipped. 'I've never felt God's presence like

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! this in Britain,' he said. Then Paul, who's in revival back home, prophesied how God would use us. Already the homeless, addicts and rent boys are finding God. They're coming home with extremist hearts. But they need fathers.

Most books I'd read on revival majored on prayer, spiritual warfare, and the like. But the father-heart was also vital. Much of the anointings had been to this end, not just to bring power, but to release us in love. It was one thing to minister from the platform, quite another to get deeply involved with people.

Leaders who experienced hearty friendships were very attractive. Our group in Leicester was one example. Springfield House had been having a bad year. Clive, the cutting celibate, couldn't gel with Victor, the mystical married. But when Victor went off to Africa, Clive soon rang him up to tell him how much he was missing him. That day they became friends and when Victor got home things started to happen.

Jez had been deeply affected by a visit to our community a long time ago but had blanked God and devoted himself to his guitar. For ten years he'd fought his conscience, plunging deeper into the music scene — drink, drugs, and the like. At last, with his friend Craig playing drums, he began to make it big in Spain. Then, with success in his grasp, Jez flew back to England, climbed a hill and gave his life to God. He laid down his guitar, cut off his long ginger dreadlocks, burned his designer clothes and embraced celibacy. Amazed, Victor and Clive welcomed him in. Craig soon followed.

Springfield's sisterhood also thrived as two girls, friends of Jez and Craig, came to the Lord and moved in. Lesley, a leading celibate, was already looking after a pair of sisters who'd

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! come out of the New Age scene. She was now surrounded by a growing flock — motherhood!

Africa was one of God's surprises. A student from Ghana had met us on our Oxford campaign, stayed at Vineyard for a while, and returned to Kumasi as a covenant member. Before long

Steve 'Ambassador' had gathered 80 people around him. Mike 'Rockfast' (prophetic administrator), Victor (inspirational teacher) and Bill 'Truthful' (the power man) went out to nurture the young church and meet others from Ghana and Nigeria. The team found new power in healing and deliverance and baptised 34 members of Jesus Fellowship Kumasi in the river — once a thirsty camel had moved out of the way!

Shepton Mallet was another surprise. We'd targeted 28 new households in cities ranging from Brighton to Manchester and from Norwich to Bristol. Shepton wasn't among them.

But a cell group mushroomed there through prayer, faith and a lot of travelling. Mature Christians were joining them.

Shepton attracted one seeker who'd taught Krishna consciousness in India. Graham's search for purity had been frustrated till he found Jesus back in England. When he visited a friend who was also newly converted, Graham heard our latest tape, Blazing Sword, and was very challenged.

Days later his friend was throwing some things from his past onto the fire when the music-centre switched itself on.

The song came through, 'Not for nothing are we leaving all behind'. They were stunned. That night they met with the Shepton group and Graham was baptised in the Holy Spirit.

All thanks to an invisible finger on the ON switch!

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Angelic activity seemed to be increasing. Some often saw angels — especially women and young children. It was not unusual for a little girl to tell me that two angels were dancing at my side or that a huge warrior was guarding the Golden Marquee with a drawn sword. One blind sister informed me that the angels got excited when we sang 'Servant King' and our own song, 'One touch of God'. Well of course.

Late one night Wilf and another brother from Living Stones were up late making a recording of 'Servant King'. When they played the song back they heard a high, sweet voice joining in. The hair on Wilf's neck stood on end.

Another incident at Living Stones was also remarkable. A Spanish sister had gone to her room to pray before dinner.

She received a powerful anointing of the Spirit. This spread to the other sisters and soon the shrieking and laughter alerted the rest of the house. When two brothers reached the foot of the staircase they were overwhelmed by a wave of power. It was swiftly followed by a pair of intoxicated sisters who tumbled down the stairs. They all crawled into the lounge where the household had gathered to 'say grace'.

There was more grace than bargained for! As the worship became awesome many saw or sensed angels; some in the room joining in the praise, others dancing on the lawn or sitting in the trees. One striking figure Norma saw was so tall that his belt buckle was level with the ceiling.

The worship time lasted all evening. Wilf, one of the least affected, spent most of his time getting dinners out of the oven, looking on in dismay and putting them back again! At 1.00 am Kelly, the practical mystic, suggested they call it a day. After all, they did have work in the morning.

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Another story came from our Sheffield evangelism; a brother was trying to rescue someone from being beaten up by a gang when one of them flew at him with both fists. Suddenly a smart young man leapt in and shielded him from the blows.

'Thanks!' said the brother afterwards.

Noticing he was carrying our Streetpaper, he added: 'I'm from 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 see that?'

'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 crackle as the disappointments of 1990 turned into to a fresh exhilaration. The first edition of Fire in our Hearts was well received and many, on hearing the story 'from the horse's mouth', became firm friends and supporters. Not all were convinced, but new church leaders like Gerald Coates were very appreciative, and Bryn Jones described God's work among us as 'a miracle in our time'.115

New members glimpsed the treasures of our heritage and veterans sniffled and laughed their way through a story they knew so well. It was all part of a rediscovery — of our call to be a people for God and of our mission to the 'poor'.

After the book was launched I locked horns with Mike and Huw over my intention to marry. Sometimes authors disagree and Mike lived up to his name — 'Rockfast'! I decided to FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! go for a walkabout. It was a chance to see how green the grass was outside.

Visiting new churches broadened my outlook, but I missed the 'gutsy' types I'd grown to love in the Jesus Army. The absence of tattoos, weird haircuts, nose-rings, lace-less squaddy boots and friendship bands made me a little homesick amongst the well-mannered, the groomed and the beautiful. There were exceptions, but it struck me how hard the average Christian finds it to relate to people 'on the level'.

Hence so few of the liberated, the outrageous and the different. I missed the raw energy of the sons of thunder.

And where on earth was the church on Monday? Seriously.

I tried the Yellow Pages. The City Christian Fellowship or the Lord's Community Church sounded tasty, but all I got was a recorded invite to the Sunday meeting. I could be dead by then! In the early days at Bugbrooke we met six nights a week and God led us into a kingdom culture. I knew that without such an ever-present alternative many of our guys would never make it. Nor would I. The church was in my blood. 'Zion' was my life, my dream, the fabric of my soul.

Fortunately, the brethren at home proved more accommodating than first appeared. After meeting some good people and tasting a little of the sweetness elsewhere, I found myself back at Wembley. Back to excitement and colour; to flashing lights and videos, to fast-moving programmes and to wild and tattooed youngsters. To loud music and to noise. To noise!

'Oh God', I groaned, 'do we really need all this?'

My mind turned to pleasant house-groups, to quiet early nights in my own room, to undisturbed morning meditations, (Ah!) and to the sweet freedom of sunny October days.

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Then the lights went on. Noel had asked three lads onto the stage and was telling their stories: 'This is Pete "Noble". Pete's mum was 15 when he was born and he was adopted by a middle class family. In his early teens he left home a rebel. Living on the streets and in squats he got into drugs; speed, coke, crack, anything. Pete had a faith in God but didn't know where to find him. He became a registered heroin addict and a dealer. At 18 he jumped off a 30-foot bridge on acid and broke both his legs. After he came out of hospital things got worse. When a sister met him in Bristol he weighed 5½ stone and had been given less than a year to live. Pete came back to one of our houses, found the love of Jesus and was baptised in the Holy Spirit.'

The tears began to fall. I was overwhelmed by God's kindness, amazed that these were my brothers. Here was conversion, raw, radical, powerful. Soon all who'd been homeless, abused or in prison were climbing onto the stage. And they just kept coming. This was it. This was Jesus. Then the Cornhill family came on doing a dance routine. Rob was rapping: A new revolution's happening in town, We're the Jesus People, come on down!

There's revolution talk right out there -

There's revolution power right in here!

You see, this revolution is one of love,

And this revolution is one of joy,

And this revolution is one of peace,

And this revolution is one of justice;

Where people of all class and race

Get saved and healed in Jesus' grace;

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The lame, the sick, the dirty, the drunks,

The posh, the poor, the bad, the punks,

The tall, the short, the fat, the thin;

Anyone who wants can all join in.

And in they came: dear old John 'Venerable' dressed as a vicar; Lionel wearing a dinner jacket and Marion in a gown, Janie as a hippie, a sister on a stretcher, a traffic warden, a lollipop lady, street kids tumbling in, a beggar and a bishop

— even the BBC — all joined in, till the stage was all life, energy and colour. The audience was taken by storm. The young lion had sprung into Cornhill. The revolution had begun.

The author of 'Christian' England predicted that 'leaders, pioneers and visionaries will be of the essence in the 90s'.116

Alpha magazine too was urging us all in the new churches to 'break the mould'.117 By 1991 people in Britain were beginning to realise that a giant had awoken in their midst — if an article in Elle magazine was anything to go by: Evangelicals are successfully tapping into a collective mood that crosses all boundaries and satisfies the desire for spiritual absolutes. Their campaign to win the nation for Jesus will be long and arduous, and not without its casualties. But know this; in the battle for souls, tomorrow belongs to them.118

27 New Horizons

The Wembley gatherings expanded our vision way beyond our own work. Reports of growth in South America, India and Korea were staggering. We saw Chinese believers on video, tearstained and passionate. Africans in their thousands looked like fields of ripe wheat waving under God's power. In so many nations there was fervour, spirit, life.

In the light of this, Europe was a darkened continent, a secular jungle. If Britain looked a little brighter, the flight from the churches continued here unabated. And if North

America had its display of power, it lacked the purity of the people's movement that was sweeping the third world.

The West was in trouble. Whilst poor Christians were spiritually rich, rich Christians were poor. In the global church, pale faces now stood in the minority. Interest in church growth soared as white westerners stooped to learn from their coloured brothers.

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Peter Wagner wrote of the pentecostal churches in Latin

America.119 Here were red-blooded enthusiasts who took the good news to the people. Pastors were poor, often illiterate, and bore more resemblance to the disciples of Jesus than the bible students of the West. Poverty kept them in touch with the common man. Their college was the street, their success measured by the number of churches they'd planted. In the third world poverty and hardship had produced good soil for the gospel. By contrast so many westerners were weighed down with wealth and stunted by comforts. What hope was there for us? In 1989 Rob White of British Youth for Christ told us in an interview for Jesus Lifestyle how he'd seen Jesus with his back on Europe.

'You've waved me goodbye in Europe', the Lord said.

'Do you really need me?' And this he asked three times.

'Yes Lord, we really need you!' I cried in earnest.

'But do you realise that will mean holiness?'

And it was like hanging on his coat tails saying, 'Turn round

Lord. Please turn round!'

And he began to turn round.120

Within a year communism had collapsed in Europe and people were dancing on the ruins of the Berlin Wall.

Economic recession, family breakdown and moral decay had opened people up spiritually in Europe, especially Britain.

The massive response to March for Jesus revealed a grassroots movement hungry for spiritual life. When 50,000 Chris-

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! tians crammed the streets of London some had felt that a major awakening in the UK was at last a possibility.

Many Christians now carried a vision to see a vibrant church operating in every local community in the UK by the year

2,000. Lynn Green of YWAM, who was closely involved with this Challenge 2,000 vision, explained: In some cities church leaders were already working together in a shared strategy. Against this background a consultation on church planting was held at the invitation of March for Jesus, the Evangelical Alliance and the Bible Society.121

They agreed on a method which had met with success in the third world. DAWN (Discipling A Whole Nation) was a strategy to mobilise all the Christian groupings into widespread church-planting throughout their nation. Planting new churches, according to church-growth experts, had proved the most effective method of evangelism in the third world. It was clearly the way forward for the UK.

The DAWN Congress gathered leaders from 32 denominations in the UK. These agreed on a target of 20 per cent of the population attending church by the year 2,000. To achieve this goal, Christians in the UK would have to plant 20,000 new churches in the space of eight years — a staggering number.

Some of our own men attended this Congress and submitted the Jesus Army targets for those eight years. Shortly after, a DAWN representative spoke to our gathered leadership. From then on it was all targets, goals, reports and endless reams of paper! Our plan was to divide up the UK into 24

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! regions and apportion them to regional leadership teams. New style Jesus Army maps were soon hanging boldly in our houses displaying these 24 regions and their pioneering activities.

We had now converted a two-storey outbuilding at the Farm to house our enquiries, communications, accounts, resources and graphics departments. Alongside Noel's crowded Farm office these Central Offices formed a well defined 'HQ' that shouldered much of the administrative burden for the newlyformed regions. Under its watchful eye, regional leaders developed their own genius as pastors of the Jesus Army congregations in their area. The main regional men met together regularly with Noel as the senior leaders of the whole church.

Steve 'Capable's' region included London and the South East and he was responsible for Brighton, Hastings and the two households at Battlecentre. His new 'sons' were doing well and Steve had targeted for a third London household in 1992.

They'd been looking for property for months but weren't sure where God wanted them. Eventually Steve found a large detached house in Ealing, a bit upmarket for the Jesus Army, but OK. The purchase was about to go through when Steve went for his usual prayer walk up his street. He suddenly noticed a FOR SALE notice at Number 13. NO CALLERS, it read. He knocked anyway.

'I see your house is up for sale,' said Steve.

'What!' the man exclaimed. He rushed out and uprooted the sign. 'I told them not to put one up!'

'Oh well, you might as well have a look around.'

The house was tempting, but too small. If only they had the one next door — but that would take a miracle. Steve went

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! home and mused. The sign had only been up for half an hour

— funny. That evening there was a knock at the door.

'Hello, I'm the lady from Number 11. I hear you're looking for a house and wondered if you would like to buy mine.'

Two houses in one day! Next to each other — and four doors up from Battlecentre! Steve was stunned.

That was how we got 'Spreading Flame'. Evidently God wanted their community to stay together — as one big fire.

My diary captured the general excitement in Emanuel Avenue, Acton: They're pretty wild down there — lots of praise and presence and laughter. Steve says: 'If revival is just round the corner it's time we went round the corner.' At one mealtime someone had a picture of a man carrying a flaming torch. Another saw a spark setting the whole land alight. Fire is the image time and again.

That summer we held a marquee mission near Acton. A young

New Zealander with a backpack met us at Trafalgar Square.

She was soon unpacking it at Spreading Flame.

We had a word in one prayer meeting about someone crying out to God on the Embankment. At about the same time a young man was praying desperately for God to help him. Paul's girlfriend had left him, he'd hit the bottle, lost his job and was now homeless on the Embankment. We brought him back to the Marquee where he found Jesus and joined the team.

That year the London congregation gained 32 people, a colourful mix originating from Trinidad, Tobago, Fiji, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Cornwall and 'Sarf' London.

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE!

With our continued expansion I noticed many new faces at the leaders meeting. The southern brothers I knew pretty well, so I assumed these hailed from up north; from Manchester, Burnley, Newcastle or Preston (not to mention Scotland).

Ian 'Greatheart' was an old worthy now operating up north.

Twenty years ago Ian and his wife had moved to a quiet village called Bugbrooke. Discovering a little chapel down the road the stalwart evangelicals had walked straight into a bunch of charismatic, communitarian fanatics. Normal life soon came to an end as the young family began the journey of a lifetime. Now Ian was a Senior Leader, manager of Skaino

Services, and church planter in Sheffield.

Though we were famous for reaching 'street-people', this was hardly the whole picture. Up in Sheffield a notorious criminal soon joined hands with a university boff. A young

Polish doctor, Andrzej and his wife Sharron (who'd once planned to be a nun) also provided the strength for a second household there. Likewise in Manchester; it was a university lecturer and his wife who opened their large house to provide a good base in the city.

The shape of things was changing. The previous year had seen record growth among those who did not, as yet, live in community. This type of membership we called Style 1. Style

2 embraced a greater degree of accountability and financial giving whilst Style 3 was our classic all-things-in-common community membership. Growth in this style was disappointing.

However there were encouraging signs. In areas where new groups had no community house, people just wanted to be together. Church households were springing up in places like

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Glasgow and Manchester which produced their own homegrown leaders. All this encouraged initiative.

Then there was the 'Multiply Network'. Multiply was launched as a new stream uniting Jesus Fellowship churches with other groups with a similar vision. King's Church, Chatham, was one of our first open supporters and 'friends' who eventually joined us in Multiply. They also released a few of their people to us who were eager for community. One young family lived at Battlecentre for a while before heading up our work in Brighton.

Many still came to us from far and wide hungering for a Christian alternative. Cornhill Manor, (led by Pete the Dutchman), had a European flavour and a daughter household in Sweden. The Farm had members in Spain who were interested in community. We were also friendly with a number of community groups in Europe and one dynamic youth-church in Germany, led by Walter Heidenreich, joined us in the Multiply Network.

Relating to others was very healthy. Some of our senior men spent more than one enjoyable afternoon with Tony

Morton and team from Southampton. We found Tony down to earth, humorous and very brotherly. But he didn't lack punch: 'God uses zealous, idealistic, sacrificial people who are outspoken, possibly obnoxious' was one of his comments in Jesus Lifestyle.122

We probably fitted that description! But we didn't relish isolation. It was encouraging to be invited to talk about our work at London Bible College. We also spoke at Spurgeon's

College where Steve 'Capable' and I bumped into Nigel

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Wright, lover of Anabaptists, author of The Radical Kingdom,123 and wise observer of the New Church movement.

Reviewing the first edition of Fire in our Hearts in Renewal, Nigel wrote: 'Whatever the Jesus Fellowship has done has its parallels in Christian history. Those like the Hutterites or Booth who took such stands in the past are now treated with honour and respect.'124 He wondered if he could cope with our 'intense lifestyle' (It's not that bad!) and added, 'But there again it takes a movement that breaks the mould to reach those who are unreachable.'

I had managed to reach at least one unreachable during my abortive church-planting session in Oxford. The miracle of unlikely friendship happened around the kitchen table whilst singing 'One touch of God' to a very brewed up, growling skinhead. Ben was larger than life, extremely funny and wept easily. What hadn't he done? Which 'nick' hadn't he been in?

But the character loved Jesus (after a fashion) and followed me back to Palm Tree Cottage next door to Cornhill. My diary showed community life in a less than romantic light: I came back to find a wife. Instead, I'm helping to look after six assorted, so-called disciples who are up and down like yo-yos.

The need is to build, build, build and it's hard work. Our house meetings are good, sometimes powerful, but their day to day battles with the flesh and all their instabilities, bickerings and temptations to smoke, drink and split are quite something. A few days ago one of them tried to strangle Alasdair. In the midst of this I'm supposed to be doing another book!

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I was writing about church as a counterculture and asked some of the Palm Tree crew why they'd joined us. One sister with a degree in philosophy explained: 'The churches I knew catered for middle class couples and were a bit boring. I was looking for something more unworldly. The group at Oxford attracted me. There were so many different types; skinheads, hippies, a doctor, a zany housewife, an ex-actress. They were getting to grips with the need.'

The ex-actress, Mary, and her friend from theatre were both single mums who enjoyed the everyday drama at Palm Tree

Cottage. Mary was finding some deep healing in community: When I arrived five years ago with my two-year-old boy, my husband had just left me. I'd known a lot of heartbreak. At 17 I was assaulted and had numbed the pain in a succession of fantasies: Teddy boys, Gothics, New Age and theatre. Marriage gave me some happiness till that was shattered. But then I found

Jesus. The day I walked into this little haven in Northamptonshire I felt God's presence and a real peace. There are some right characters here, but among them, and with prayer, I've begun to find the real me.

A gracious addition to this eccentric bunch was a family who had fled from war-torn Uganda. Ketty was a tall young woman whose father was an African pastor. She'd lost her home and her husband but had found refuge with her two children in this English oakbeamed cottage.

Ketty was a prayer-warrior (we needed her!), loved holiness and often praised God. We must have tried her patience, but as Ketty remarked, with a very wide smile: 'I feel I've

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! found a family.' That said it all. Sadly this noble African refugee was seriously ill and the first to grace our new burial ground at Cornhill. Zion was truly a home for the widow, the orphan and the stranger.

At Palm Tree I delved into the writings of former radical

Christians and noted the frequent use of the word 'Zion'. Inspirationally it described the church. But it wasn't that simple. In scripture, 'Zion' could mean natural Israel, the church or the heavenly city. I felt it was a touch of heaven when 'brothers dwell together in unity' — but I'm a poet.

One evening I sat down with Andrzej and asked what 'Zion' meant to him. He responded with total enthusiasm: 'It was like when I first met Sharron. Something leapt inside.'

Andrzej gesticulated, flinging his arms around wildly.

'I was Catholic, you see... charismatic. But I longed to see evangelism, community. You know... the zeal of the early church. So did Sharron. Well, we met the Jesus Army singing in Sheffield. Ian 'Greatheart' was playing a banjo in the square.

I can see his face now. God spoke to us and we started coming around. It was all so exciting — the vision — everything.

It was like... like falling in love again. Zion! You know! It was just like coming home... coming home.'

He sank back exhausted with inspiration. I laughed. But his heart fire had touched me. The next morning I grabbed a pen:

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We have found the best all,

Zion, joy of every soul;

Drinking of one spirit now,

Jesus takes the royal crown,

World and sin are trampled down!

Zion is our home!

Inspired by the new bloods at the Farm, Noel added a verse:

Satisfy your deep desire

In this church of love and fire!

Here the friends for whom you cried

Always loyal at your side,

Arms of welcome opened wide:

Zion is our home!

Such was the beauty of covenant love. Celibacy too was advancing. The 200-strong meeting of vowed and probationary celibates excelled in worship as one sister recorded: It was incredible! When we started to worship I sensed fire racing through our hearts. I was weeping to God to so cleanse me that the fire would stay and never go away. I heard instrumental music and angels with really high voices. An amazing spiritual song swept around the hall in ever increasing waves.

After that we all broke out in thunderous Jesus claps and cheers.125

A celibate power-switch was thrown and the whole spirit of celibacy became futuristic. Frankly I was amazed to see young

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! people with everything going for them in terms of marriage cast it all aside for the sake of the kingdom. The day of sacrifice wasn't over. We were limbering up. There were signs of a golden age to come.

Our strategy in 1992 was not only to regionalise but also to release the dynamic of the converted. Regular leadership training sessions were held at Cornhill and included many potential 'Timothies'. The apostle Paul had 'fathered' and apprenticed young Timothy. This kind of spiritual mentoring was growing amongst us and was really the hope of the future. All around we sensed the mood of a new generation looking for challenge. The need for adventure, to take life on and to explore the limits was raw material for the Spirit of God. MEN

WHO DARE! was a bold headline that summer in our Jesus

Revolution Streetpaper:

Rugged, lively, new Christians! High profile, outfront! They belong to the revolutionary dynamic of the early church. They take up the torch of those who 'turned the world upside down'.

New Christians are courageous, daring! Dangerous to demons!

They live to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ready to give up jobs, sports, wealth, marriage. Sold out to the new Christian cause. These are men and women who dare!126

But the future of our own youth caused concern. Many Fellowship sons and daughters had been brought up in our most sober, disciplined era. Though we were more flexible nowadays, our children still faced a major crisis when they became teenagers. Many rebelled as they fought for their per- FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! sonal identity. Some left the church outright but a number returned after tasting what the world had to offer. But whether they stayed or not, all needed their own experience of Jesus.

Twenty years had flown by since Noel and his friends had patiently won the hearts of people like Rufus and Jess, sitting where they sat — on orange boxes, drinking herbal tea and just listening. Noel and Rufus now found themselves in a similar situation with two of our teenage 'rebels'.

Nathan and Phil were both sons of Fellowship leaders. Nathan's parents had joined our Oxford group in the early 70s.

They were gripped with the vision of Christian community and had left everything to follow it. Now, as a large family, they all lived at King's House in the Warwickshire countryside.

Nathan was 16 and making friends at sixth form college in Rugby. A group of them had a good scene together and would often meet up, chatting late into the night, playing reggae and smoking dope. The brotherhood appealed to Nathan.

There he could relax, be himself and do his own thing.

Phil, who lived in our Nottingham house and attended drama school, was on a similar journey, experimenting and 'finding himself — often at all-night raves and parties, sleeping on floors and returning home as little as possible.

Nathan and Phil compared notes and smoked hash together.

Nathan was the more emotional and keenly felt the conflict that was raging within. 'What's happening to me?' he asked himself. 'I love God and the church, so why am I going off the rails like this ? Why do I want this scene ?'

After one meeting Noel encouraged him:

'Nathan, you're going to be a real man of God.'

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'How?' was the curt reply. Nathan badly needed some answers.

One night he was feeling so desperate that he turned up at the Farm. He found Noel and Rufus very helpful. Over a period of months they talked things through; Nathan, rash, confused, defensive, trying to understand himself; Noel and Rufus quietly listening and giving help where they could. Often

Nathan rang up in the middle of the night, stoned. They understood.

At one Jesus Revolution meeting in Coventry Nathan brought his girlfriend along. But when she started to mock, he lost his cool. 'I would die for these people,' he shouted.

Realising what he'd said, he rushed backstage and wept.

The next evening he appeared with the band in Northampton (to the delight or dismay of many). Noel invited Nathan, Phil and two others to the parents meeting at Cornhill the following night. He intended to focus on our community teenagers and wanted the 'rebels' to speak for themselves.

Nathan's frank sharings had alerted Noel to the acute needs of our youth. Growing up within the 'straight and narrow', some had struggled with feelings of frustration and rejection. As they now entered maturity they needed to be trusted and given space. Many had made friendships with older brothers and this helped enormously to work things through outside the family circle. Parents could often do little more than step back and cling to God's promises.

At the packed meeting in the King's Room Noel spoke of his vision for our somewhat neglected teenagers. We'd given much to evangelism but these young men and women were destined to be the springboard for greater things amongst

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! us. Isaiah had once mourned that Jerusalem had 'none to guide her' among 'all the sons she bore' (Is 51:18). Zion's sons were meant to cherish her, 'take her by the hand' and lead her on.

Ours first needed winning, healing, and giving opportunity to express their creative energy.

Nathan and Phil soon had the gathering in stitches with their memories, candour and funny remarks. During that memorable evening mums and dads faced their failures and triumphs as forgiveness, humour and hope flowed between the generations. When Nathan and Phil sat down they were clearly rebels. But, strangely and movingly, the impression that lingered was of their love for the church — and her Lord.

Nathan continued to struggle. His ambitions were set on music and he'd started to play for a local band. At this point Jez came into the story. Jez had heard about one of 'Zion's kids' who had a talent for keyboard, was on the way out, and wanted advice on the music scene.

Rufus set up a meeting for them at Sheepfold where they could make some sounds together. The two musicians gelled from the word go. Soon Rufus had an inspiration. He'd been wondering how to capture the energy and mysticism of creation in music. Maybe... Yes. He shot off and came back with a copy of The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis.

Nathan and Jez were still jamming as the December sun sank low over the hills and the little studio began to fill with atmosphere. Rufus began to read aloud and Nathan's keyboard followed with moody, mysterious sounds. The guitar sang and soared. Caught up in the imagery of the moment, Rufus began to weep. They'd hit on something deep.

28 Spiritual Searchers 'Hush!' said the Cabby. They all listened.

In the darkness something was happening at last. A voice had begun to sing. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself.

Mary and her six year old son, Faolan, sat entranced as the low music throbbed and rumbled through their seats at the Derngate Theatre in Northampton. Then...

Two wonders happened at the same moment.

One was that the voice was suddenly joined by other voices. They were far higher up the scale: cold, tingling, silvery voices. The second wonder was that the blackness overhead, all at once, was blazing with stars.

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The high ceiling was lit by a thousand points of light as the deep throb was joined by delicate silvery cadences. Rufus continued the drama, as he read, by pencil light, from The Magician's Nephew.127 'Glory be!' said the Cabby. 'I'd ha' been a better man all my life if I'd known there were things like this.'

The music grew stronger and, as the lights came on slowly...

The sky grew paler, then changed from white to pink and from pink to gold. The Voice rose and rose, till all the air was shaking with it. And just as it swelled to the mightiest and most glorious sound it had yet produced, the sun arose. As its beams shot across the land the travellers saw the mountains. The earth was of many colours, fresh and vivid. They made you feel excited; until you saw the Singer himself, and then you forgot everything else.

The theme was creation, and this was the founding of Narnia. It was Faolan's favourite story. But to see it now with real scenery, coloured lights and mist. Ah!

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The Lion breathed out a long, warm breath.

Then came a swift flash and every drop of blood tingled in the children's bodies, and the deepest, wildest voice they ever heard was saying, 'Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, awake. Love. Think.

Speak.'

As the drama reached its climax the ambient music glided upwards from a song about creation to heavenly worship.

Voice and flute, guitar and keyboard harmonised and danced with the colours as we joined in the spiritual song.

As the anointing of the Spirit fell, the atmosphere became thick, golden, heavenly. On and on went the sounds, weaving, blending, soaring. What was programmed for 15 minutes had run wild in the Spirit. Then people began to come forward, deeply moved. For Mary, the ecstasy of that moment on New

Year's day re-awakened her waning love for God. For guitarist Jez it swallowed up ten years of wilderness.

A.W. Tozer complained that the evangelicals of his day lacked awe in God and wonder at his creation. Not so the searchers.

As a teenager, I found that sunset, stream and star awakened in me a deep desire, but the Christians I knew seemed cosmically numb. Their attitude to the planet was to abandon it as soon as possible! With such a negative outlook in the church it was small wonder that all the nature mystics, earth crusaders and pagans were on the increase.

Our view of creation was positive. We recognised that man was made in God's image, and though fallen, he was hardly

Satan's friend. He desired goodness. This was easier to see

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! in the spiritual climate now developing. All around were confused, longing people sick of material values and hungry for love, warmth and reality. Our task was to identify, show a brotherly alternative and gently guide them to Jesus.

In the light of this, any aggressive overtones in the army image were played down. We Fight For You! and Love, Power and Sacrifice were mellowed to Jesus People—Loving People. We were a JESUS army with the emphasis on Jesus. Recently God had changed the face of our church. We now needed a new image, a new approach. So at the 1993 Easter Festival we launched the 'modern JESUS army' in all its rainbow colours: its commission — to flow with the people.

The following months found us at raves, in pubs and nightclubs, at parties, on the beaches and at festivals. We baptised people in rivers, the sea, even the fountains at Trafalgar

Square. A fast-moving video, We're Jesus Revolutionaries, captured some of the excitement. But the heart of this revolution was Jesus, friend of sinners. Loving people was the key.

The creation sketch from Narnia was repeated in Manchester and Sheffield and the marked anointing on it suggested that God could use technology as a servant of the Spirit.

At clubs and festivals we noted the tremendous influence of music. If music communicated so powerfully, then maybe

God was calling us to speak in its language. Everywhere we saw the instinct to worship. Whether dancing before a totem pole or raving the night away on ecstasy, people wanted to abandon themselves in a group experience akin to worship.

The present culture was also highly visual. Pictures speak more than words and even books were becoming outdated in FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! a world of videos and high tech computers. God communicated visually; through creation, and in water baptism, oil and wine. Christianity was full of visual symbols.

So we began to develop our media technology using film, sound and lighting. Techno took us down two lines: videographics and computerised music. John 'Perceptive' and his boffs could handle the first. For the second we drew on Jez who gingerly introduced Noel to a world of modern dance; of jungle, rave, ambient and house music; of drum machines, sequencers and samplers. Noel was interested, for he had something (in the Spirit) up his sleeve.

We'd done prophetic drama many times now since we filled

Westminster Central Hall with smoke in 1989. The risk of using drama was that a serious message could degenerate into mere entertainment. It also took a lot of time in prop making, organisation and rehearsal.

Our dramatic presentations needed refocusing to communicate the gospel effectively. We'd gained new skills and better equipment. We also wanted to harness the creative energy of the youth. Was it time for a big project? A presentation that would speak into the current mood?

The idea evolved of a multimedia event using videographics, film, sound, light displays — the lot; powerful images showing the beauty of creation and its devastation; sights that captured the desperate need of humanity; songs that spoke of God's love; colourful celebrations of a new brotherhood. All from the gut, raw and in tune with the cries of the people.

The vision caught on.

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Rufus asked Nathan and Phil to get involved but Nathan was blowing hot and cold, afraid of being drawn in. A meeting was arranged at the Farm but they turned up four hours late, stoned out of their heads. They put a downer on the whole thing. It was far too square and, besides, Nathan had his musical career to consider. Rufus felt like strangling him but swallowed a further dose of patience and humility. He remembered a difficult young actor from the past.

Soon Noel was ringing up Phil with questions about the latest music and fashions. 'What exactly is Grunge?' Noel asked.

He saw Phil as a link with the youth culture. Saved or not, Nathan and Phil were our men on the ground and in touch.

Phil gladly sent down tapes and articles. He even spent an occasional night at the Farm, beating a hasty retreat back to Nottingham in the morning.

One night Nathan was celebrating his seventeenth birthday when Rufus and another Farm brother turned up. They piled into the car and drove out to the Derbyshire hills. There was a mad climb in the dark and, on the top of Black Rocks, swept by a wild, chilling wind, Phil unburdened his guilt to Rufus. As they prayed Phil broke down, found forgiveness and was freed from a spirit of rejection.

This was his first touch of God and he ran down the hill feeling like air. From then on his spirit began to come alive.

But there was no sudden clean-up. That summer Phil abandoned himself to loose-living, wild parties and raves. God was there too, waiting.

Nathan was equally wild and had left King's House to live with friends near Rugby. Noel stayed true to him through a FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! few explosions and gave him an occasional lyric which he put to music. One evening Rufus found him in his gran's summerhouse, stoned (as usual). They worked on a song that Rufus and Ronnie were going to introduce at Spinney; 'Do you wanna have a father's heart, brother?' It was apt. Rufus's own father's heart was working overtime.

Recently we had focused on soul healing. Many came to us with deep emotional scars and there were some heart-rending tales. A survey showed that one out of five girls had suffered sexual abuse by the age of 18. Many youngsters in fact left home in their early teens fleeing from some kind of abuse.

So many wounds, so many wounds,

Heal me deeply with your powerful love.

Many sang this with tears. It seemed that the erosion of real family life had devastated the youth of Britain.

Paul had walked out of a broken home when a young teenager and was roughing it on the Strand in London when Steve 'Capable' met him. Steve gave him his card and Paul thought no more of it. But soon the rejection that had dogged his life became unbearable. He decided to throw himself off Waterloo Bridge. As Paul stood looking down at the murky waters of the Thames he felt something in his pocket. It was Battlecentre's phone number. He rang it up and Steve came out and brought him home. With a powerful combination of healing prayer, family life and some good fathering, Paul soon became a young man of God and a valuable worship leader.

He doubled in weight too!

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Darren also left home in unhappy circumstances at 13. After four years living on the streets in Ireland and in London, Darren staggered onto our Jesus coach at Trafalgar Square, drunk and abusive. He wept his way to God. His friend Trev, who'd slept in shop doorways and squats, begging and mugging for a living, saw the change in 'Daz' and joined him up at New Creation Farm.

These strong characterful men responded to fathers in God.

But many of us old-timers needed healing too. A true leader was warm-hearted, patient and loving. Rigidity and legalism was a curse. We'd learned that. Relaxed flow was where it was at. When we allowed God to love us and heal us, we gladly shed our hard 'Christian' skins and began to win hearts.

So many were searching. Not just new-agers but ordinary people who through hurt, heartache and distress longed for what was good. We wanted to accommodate ourselves to them, use any means, make a bridge, help them reach out to God.

We aimed at being more user-friendly and informal in our gospel presentation. Sunday nights at Spinney Hall, Northampton, now included a snack and coffee bar in the foyer.

With smiling welcomers, colourful resources, background music and lots of friends, a good scene was well on the go before the main programme started.

When it did, our new friends were encouraged to relax and enjoy the atmosphere without feeling obliged to join in. The non-threatening approach attracted many who might avoid religious meetings. Invitations were to a: FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE!

Sunday Evening At Spinney (SEAS)

A Jesus Revolution evening of music, friendship, faith, life and worship with the Jesus Praise Band

SEAS soon employed UV lamps, strobes and 'intelligent' lighting. The London congregation's version involved a brother switching coloured light bulbs on and off — fast!

That summer 100,000 festival-goers converged on Glastonbury pouring into the campsites, marquees and field-markets.

The Glastonbury Festival was a showcase for the many ways folk in the 90s were searching for spiritual reality. Drugs, occult, New Age, eastern religion, music, they were all there.

Centuries old druidism rubbed shoulders with high-tech attractions like virtual reality; as did rich yuppies with hippie travellers.

One of our teams was in the thick of it all seeking to bring the Jesus experience, as our Streetpaper reported: 'I guess you Christians are going to tell me I need to be filled with something like your Holy Spirit because I have a gap in my life.'

Sam and Fabian were down by the main stage talking to a young man when his friend burst in with these words. They liked his comment and asked if they could pray for him. The Spirit came upon him and he fell over right in the middle of the crowd. When he got up he was so excited he started to hassle his friends to get prayer too!128

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Many felt a touch of God's love. Not all were immediately converted, but God responded to their openness. From the hills that overlooked the festival one could see thousands of searchers. So many were on a spiritual journey.

New Age seemed to mimic the charismatic movement. Here were prophets, healers and counsellors; here too we could find prayer and music, conferences and festivals; and, for the radical element, simple lifestyle and community.

So many had a thirst for wisdom, a hunger for experience, and a desire for a better world. We weren't interested in simply faultfinding. True, much was deception and seduction.

But among it all were kingdom seekers and God's men of tomorrow.

Our place was to respect, listen and look for common ground. They counted creation as sacred. The world-denying image that Christianity portrayed was not only sad but false.

Scripture placed earth on centre-stage as man's first paradise and, when renewed, his final destiny. It was this ache for a lost Eden that motivated them, as I wrote in our revamped

Jesus Life magazine:

The vision of a Golden Age! How it captures the romantic, the idealist and the radical. In its purest form it embodies the aspirations of a man awakened to his fall; the quest for a lost innocence, for social transformation, for an age of peace, for New

Jerusalem.129

We had what so many longed for; the hope, the promise and the certainty of a golden age. We, if any, were the 'people of the rainbow', the keepers of the keys. Where we stood on FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! the Rock, they sailed on dangerous seas. How important then to communicate our vision with humility.

Here were echoes from the 60s of quiet protests and hippie alternatives. 'Gurus came to these shores by the boatload,'

Rufus remarked, 'but where were the Jesus radicals? Where were the spiritual masters with the true enlightenment?'

Timothy Leary, a leading psychedelic, had accused the Christians of his time of being 'emotionally constipated' and unspiritual. Hopefully, in the 90s, the charge was no longer accurate. God was making his people attractive to spiritual seekers.

One night Nathan and Phil were out in the fields all night tripping on acid. Looking up at the stars through rustling leaves and waving branches the semi-Christian searchers were spellbound. Lying on the cool earth they talked about God.

Eventually the charm of the night gave way to a stunning sunrise. As they revelled in the song of birds, the pure morning light, the cool breeze and the million diamond dewdrops scattered on the grass, they worshipped. Then wild, free and loudly singing the praises of God (though still tripping), they danced through the dawn-streaked streets of Rugby.

By July Noel had persuaded Nathan to get involved with Jez in the multimedia project and threw a massive wad of lyrics their way. They worked non-stop in a little studio at the Farm turning out sounds for 'Jesus Live'.

Phil worked with Rufus on the drama side and relished friendships at the Farm. His heroes had always been the raw converted street lads like Daz and Ronnie. He was now fed

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! up with his hippy-trippy image and the rather 'poncy' scene at drama school. The time had come to open a new chapter in his life. But what? And where? Rufus encouraged Phil to get baptised at Jesus Live. 'No way!' said Phil the cool. But in secret he was very encouraged that Rufus believed in him.

The flurry of creativity ran straight into the August Festival and by now Nathan was softening up. As the new band set their kit up amongst the regular musicians, Jez was nervous.

'Techno, a stoned keyboard player and a computer? Will this be acceptable? Will God really be in it?'

At the opening bars of the song 'Jesus is Live' the whole audience rose to its feet in excitement. Jez breathed a sigh of relief. Then as they launched into 'So fed up with myself and reached the second line, 'Longing for love that is real', the Holy Spirit touched Nathan and he wept. That day the Beta band was born.

Immediately after the Festival Nathan went up to the Lake

District and immersed himself in the beauty of the mountains and lakes. As he sat on a hill in the moonlight, absorbing the stillness, he turned things over in his mind. He was young.

Life was before him. Should he pursue his own wild path — or flow with the Jesus Army? Noel and Rufus were good friends and the Beta band was taking off. A door had opened and it seemed easy now to just walk through. In the solitude of the moment Nathan felt the kiss of heaven.

As summer rolled on a colossal amount of work went into the preparations for the premiere of Jesus Live in November.

Apart from all the prop-making, band practice and stage rehearsals, there was the sheer complexity of the programme.

The 40-page script included graphics, background music, film

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE! sequences and hundreds of slides, statistics and newsreel items. All had to be orchestrated through a relay of headsets.

As the deadline loomed, the autumn stress levels gave ample opportunity for abiding in Christ. Talk about team effort!

One inspiration was to use a group of 'searchers' dressed in brown hessian clothes that represented their various backgrounds. A young couple who'd lived as new-agers in Cornwall spent their spare evenings making hippie gear out of sackcloth. Others created suits, African dress, even a bowler hat and brolly, all out of sacking material!

When the big day eventually arrived, we all hit the ground running. Wembley opened with a leaders' breakfast and continued through two long sessions of guest speakers, music and sketches. After refuelling at teatime we fastened our safety belts for four hours of non-stop, multimedia action.

Jesus Live was nothing if not a sensory experience. If the theme was creation, the audience had to see, taste and smell it as stewards passed round grapes and sprayed us all with strawberry mist! If our worship was as 'fragrant incense rising', they were there again, swinging some smoking objects that looked decidedly Catholic. Boring it was not.

During the praise there was a mass distribution of fluorescent yellow cloths and red crosses. Ultraviolet in the dark not only highlighted an impressive praise wave and 2,000 glowing crosses but did amazing things for my white shirt!

But this was no mere extravaganza. There was tenderness.

Through deeply moving songs and images we felt, with the searchers, the pain, the outrage and the shame. Rob sang gently: FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE!

Dear broken-hearted ones, your face is full of hurt, Feelings of agony; we long to share your pain.

Let our eyes run with tears,

Let our hearts flow with love;

Our arms stretched out to you our friends, Like his who wept and died.

At one point Daz and Trev were dragged on stage, put into stocks and pelted with words like 'hatred', 'rejection' and 'injustice'. The searchers, who could no longer endure all the abuse they'd already witnessed, rushed onto the stage shouting 'Enough!' It was powerfully symbolic. As the section 'Jesus, Radical and Redeemer' unfolded, the searchers were found at last kneeling at the cross.

A garden and a cup, a cup of suffering, A cup filled to the brim, a cup only for him.

A moment of quiet followed the song. Suddenly Daz jumped up shouting: 'He is risen! He is risen!' The searchers went wild. With 'angelic' music filling the air, they threw off their sackcloth, revealing the brilliant clothes of resurrection and hope. Soon, during the 'Church' sequence, all who'd been homeless or in prison gathered on stage. As they sang and swayed together, the video-camera zoomed in on Paul from London. We could see him on screen as he smiled, arm in arm with his friends. For those who knew, it was a moment of tears. It was his song: FIRE IN OUR HEARTS COMMUNICATE!

I've been crying in my soul; I've found the brotherhood, With a love not known before, now I know I belong; This love I've been shown is really so strong; And I'm crying with my brethren, tears of joy and love.

After a brief message hundreds came forward to receive prayer. Then the baptistry was opened. Phil collared hold of Rufus backstage. 'Bro, if I'm to get baptised, I need to know the Spirit is with me.' As Rufus laid hands on him and prayed, Phil spoke in tongues for the first time. Then swiftly crossing the stage, he jumped in and was baptised.

The Spirit came so powerfully that Phil could hardly stand.

During the final celebrations many went through the water, but Phil's parents only learned about their 'newly-washed' son when, in the midst of wild rave, stage-diving and flashing lights, someone grabbed the mike and shouted, 'Phil's been baptised!'

He seemed to carry the torch of a new generation.

We had called 1993 'The Year of the Spirit'. It had not disappointed us. Inspiration and creativity had been powerfully released. God had given us 450 new people and some of our own teenagers were coming through.

We were flowing with the Christian mainstream, tapping into the culture and communicating with ever increasing skill.

But community had barely grown. Jesus, friend of sinners, was ever more popular. His passion for sacrifice was not so easy to inspire. Maybe we'd lost it ourselves.

New Generation

1994 onwards

29 Passing the Torch

We'd just come back from a community tour and Jason was staring at a picture on the oak-panelled wall of Cornhill Manor where I now lived. The tapestry showed a golden city out of whose gates a river flowed down a hill into the chequered fields below.

Jason looked spaced out. After a while he turned to me.

'Babylon's the world, isn't it?'

'That's right.' I nodded, rather surprised.

'And that city? It's Zion isn't it? The bride.'

I smiled. (This was music to my ears).

'Yes, Jason.'

'That's well sound.'

I agreed.

The house meeting was about to start so we sat down on the carpet. This was the first time I'd met Jason. I wasn't sure

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS NEW GENERATION

how he was getting on. He was a funny bloke, now dreaming at the picture again. I'd met his friend a week back on a Bristol coach campaign. There had been a word of knowledge that we'd meet a young man who was going through a marriage breakdown. We had. He was now paying us a visit and had brought Jason down as a bonus.

Soon we were sharing and praying together. Jason, now out of his coma, explained, in a Bristol tongue, how his head had been 'done right in' by what he had seen of our community. Apparently this was a favourable response. Jason reckoned we were 'well dodgy'. Not 'dodgy', meaning suspect, but 'well dodgy', which meant radical, distinctive and dangerous to the devil. I marvelled at the English language.

Moments later it was my turn to be gob-smacked as the one-time glue sniffer, burglar and car thief went on to reveal a depth of biblical knowledge and spiritual insight that shook me. God, and no one else, had opened this young man's eyes.

We discussed the kingdom of God and he bubbled on about 'the holy bride' from Isaiah and Revelation, elated to find someone who understood. We made friends. I laid hands on him; the Spirit of God came and he started to shake.

So began an episode which, repeated with many other people, was prophetic of a new phase amongst us — the dawning of a new generation, the passing of the torch.

1993 had been an inspiring year with record growth. Jesus

Live had been a definite hit and was scheduled for a six city tour of the UK. Searchers were everywhere, with people queuing up for baptism. My diary for 1994 began on an unusually

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positive note (maybe coloured by the fact that Mary from Palm

Tree had just agreed to marry me!):

Jan 4: The year of the people. Away with spiritual snobbery! In with Jesus, the One who walks with the crowd. This is all about release — of heart and spirit — of colour and creativity. Nowadays we are vulnerable and accessible. The flag that flies from our turrets is stained with blood; and the more colourful, the more attractive for that. It is the warm blood of compassion.

Zion may have walls. She is holy to the Lord. But her gates are open. The drawbridge is down. The dancing is in the streets.

Poetry apart, the times were good and a lot was 'cracking off'. At the Easter Weekend we received over 100 new members on stage amongst a happy chaos. The Festival theme song, 'Now the strong wind is blowing', was backed by hail and fierce winds that shook the tent and threatened to rip it open. To us, it symbolised a spiritual wind that was blowing ever stronger in Britain.

A major encouragement was the way fellowship sons like

Nathan and Phil were beginning not only to come through with God but also to find a burning vision for community. Phil, now mentored by Rufus, gave up his place in drama school for discipleship at New Creation Farm. Phil had already cleaned up his life; now he decided to get rid of his possessions and follow the call of Jesus to full commitment. Nathan was to follow.

This was the break we were hoping for: a second generation not just sticking around, but radically taking up the torch.

There was also a growing number of visionary new people,

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whether zealous Christian couples or streetwise Jasons who came, like Jesus Live, 'raw, deep and from the heart'. Here was our future.

Since 1989 the focus had been on communication with fellow

Christians and with the youth culture. Whilst retaining this, God's spotlight now turned on the heart of the church. We realised that it was only apostolic character that could produce apostolic fruit. Mellowness was good but the future lay in courageous mission, passion and self-denial.

The Jesus Army had become a national movement. Noel's ministry maintained a strong, united vision. But now we'd spread throughout the UK the need was for key men to bring that kind of apostolic spirit to their own regions. Noel was nearly 70 and his mantle must eventually fall on a new generation.

The Jesus Fellowship was now undergoing a major transformation. Only apostolic power would ensure that the new version would be belter than the old. The torch must be passed on. Inspired leaders and their spiritual 'sons' must reinforce the simplicity, sharing and sacrifice that was the heart of our 'Zion' vision.

This was what searchers were crying out for; something solid and undiluted. 'Looking for a cause to fight for' was a popular song in Jesus Live. Youth were drawn to the bold, the wild and the strong; definitely not middle-class boredom, but risky adventure, challenge and exploring the limits. Red-hot

Christian brotherhood fitted the bill. We had become culturally relevant. That was a good step. But it was our holy vision that really brought in the radicals.

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Jason went back starry-eyed to work things out in Bristol. His church was shy of charismatic gifts, let alone community. He enthused, inspired, and even raged about 'Zion'. They understood. He was young. But in the end he was unable to cope with a tamed life. Jason pined away and began to stumble. I found him in Bristol and brought him back to our Men Alive

For God Day. Jesus Life captured the mood: Bright banners and swirling patterns; the name of Jesus in colours spinning on the wall. Smoke, lights and wild dancing. The strength and sound of 600 men worshipping together, holding high the torch. Masculinity and friendship. Informal seminars.

Energy, buzz and anointing. Flowing with the river or climbing the spiritual mountain. Exuberant youth abseiling from the ceiling and challenging us to be daring. Adoration and rave culminating in a spine-tingling finale, 'All hail the power of Jesus name'.130

But it wasn't the amazing technicolour that touched Jason.

It was the prophetic clarity and the common cause. Jason wept his heart out. The following morning, as we all worshipped together, he seemed to see just one man, one body. 'This is it,' he said. 'This is the bride.' And the tears flowed. We called him Jason Tenderheart.

A few days later, he said goodbye to his old council estate in Bristol and moved to Cornhill Manor. Jason was a hungry disciple who wanted the works and milked me for wisdom.

We would go off adventuring, sometimes following 'words' from the Lord. 'Fox and Hounds' was one of his. But there were so many inns with that name in the county that our would-be evangelism turned into a non-alcoholic pub-crawl!

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I had a word too while praying one morning: 'Go to Bath and you will find a group of young people who meet regularly in a pub seeking spiritual things.' Then: 'The White Dog'. I looked up this name in the Yellow Pages but it didn't exist!

Undeterred we set off: destination — Bath; mission — locate hippies and evangelise. The friends we stayed with knew of two off-beats, Dave and Steve, who had a kind of Jesus pub scene going. So the next day we headed out with our guitars, hot on the scent. A guy with a twelve-string caught us up in the park.

'Hi! Who do you play for then?' he chirped.

'The Lord.' I said.

'Good. I'm off to a prayer meeting. Do you want to come?'

'Definitely,' said Jason. 'Let's go for it.'

Next thing, we were in a pentecostal church, singing and praying. Then two hippie characters walked in. I nudged Jason, 'I bet these are the ones, Jase.' When the meeting ended we walked over to them: 'I'm Dave,' said one with a grin.

'I thought so,' I said. Turning to the other, I added: 'And you're Steve and you meet in a pub every week seeking spiritual things.' They were wide eyed.

'How do you know?'

'God told us about you in Northampton.'

We made friends, laughed about The White Dog', and spent the afternoon singing in the streets. Mission accomplished, we met the rest of the group the following week. Half way through the evening, Dave blurted out. 'Hey look! Amazing!'

In trotted a white dog. Jason was well impressed.

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We used to drive up to Bristol every Wednesday night for housegroup and evangelise at weekends. At one Jesus Revolution meeting in Bristol I spotted a colourful character waving a big flag with his long hair wrapped in a red bandanna.

He looked like a pirate. 'Looks a pretty normal Jesus Army recruit,' I thought and smiled.

The following Wednesday he turned up at our house-group.

Stroppy, streetwise and loveable, Andy took to us right away and joined the gang. He was himself, praised God with swear words and regarded discipleship like medicine, nasty but needful. But he loved us to bits.

Andy had been brought up in care. Jason had rarely seen his dad. This was the pattern; family break up, adoption and even abuse. When these young guys sang 'This is home' or 'This is my family' it meant so much.

The fathering we gave them was not just passing on some kind of spiritual mantle but really getting involved. This was the task of us golden oldies, now well into our 40s. Rejuvenated veterans brought solidity and security to the lads and shared from their treasure store with the buzz of a new era.

Young dynamos, for their part, jostled, goaded and wheeled us out onto the streets. So two generations took their place for the harvest and the church regained her youth.

Cornhill, a community flagship, was in the throes of such a renewal and was gaining new people. Jason, with his passion for God and prophetic artlessness reminded me of an early

Franciscan. Andy came as a rougher version! A young couple who'd been new-agers in Germany also rolled up with a travellers' bus and a restlessness for a new society. Cornhill, strug-

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gling out of her institutionalism, was given a helping hand and a raw taste of the future.

Youth was in upsurge. 'A rising star, that's what I am!' was a hit when Crossrhythms reviewed our tape The Greatest Cause.

New bloods wanted to win their spurs and this could mean releasing treasured sons to pioneer new scenes.

From Ian 'Greatheart's' base in Sheffield, the north was wide open. Ian was keen to give his 'young turks' their head.

We now had a bus, kitted out with bunks, that lan's men took over the Pennines in search of adventure. The mould-breaking team, without established leaders or community members, descended on Barnsley, Wakefield, Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield ending up in Leeds where a church plant was now under way. Their success pointed the way ahead.

Ian was emerging as a pioneer with an apostolic spirit. Steve 'Capable' was another folk hero with church-building skills.

Charismatic personalities like these foreshadowed the future which must lie in gifted people birthing church and community at a distance.

Our Northampton community had come into being through apostolic ministry but daughter churches in Warwickshire, Birmingham or even London were transplanted from mother stock. Locals swelled the numbers, but the core group always came from 'home'. This wasn't on. We couldn't be forever dividing up the clump.

Ian's base was 100 miles away. He felt their situation was similar to Antioch's in the early church. The Jerusalem community had spread through Judea and Samaria and up to Antioch by migration. But from Antioch onwards the thrust out-

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wards was mainly from small apostolic teams. Ian believed this missionary model was the way ahead for his region.

When we'd first commissioned Ian to lead the new house

God's word to him was to 'multiply'. Ian envisaged Sheffield not just as a satellite of 'Jerusalem' but as a new centre of missionary activity. He'd experienced church-building on the Bugbrooke estate and in Warwickshire. Now Sheffield was prospering and Andrzej was all set to lead a second house there. Ian had set his sights on the regions beyond.

At the present rate, planting in new territory was taking at least three years. At that rate Ian might plant six households before he was 70. But that was using the community house model. We had already begun to shift the focus away from community houses to congregations. The old mindset was hard to change, but the shape of the future was going to be a church with a minority of community members.

Ian realised that the dynamic of church planting was not in shipping in ready made communities but in the outworking of the kingdom word. God's messengers weren't called to transplant; but to sow seed which would spring up, 'first the stalk, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear' (Mk 4:28).

At Bugbrooke the steps into community had been slow and steady. Noel had steered the Northampton base through a long and, at times, turbulent history. Ian could hardly do that in each new location. Sheffield would have to function as a mother church sending out small church-planting teams.

These would produce a body of people whose future would be mainly in the hands of local leaders.

By 1994 things were taking shape. In Preston five single brothers made an attempt at community living. The experi-

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ment failed. Ian balanced their zeal with wisdom and by August the Preston group, which included three families, was in good fettle and recognised as a new church household.

Mick 'Temperate' shared lan's vision. His Birminghambased team had established a group in Manchester and was now working on a small church in Stockport. At Tyneside too, in the north-east, Pete 'Just's' 'baby' was showing some promise. These groups were all led by northern 'natives'.

Each new work would develop its own flavour. Central Office could give strong input with resources, directives and leadership days, but the pressing need was for holy sowers; brothers with apostolic vision. Given that, new fires of community would spring up elsewhere. The UK might yet see a multiplied repeat of the 'Bugbrooke Miracle'.

Church plants had their own special genius. Whilst the brothers up north were seeking to plant small churches in many towns, the Shepton team in the rural west was drawing

Christians into community. On the south coast our huge new house in Seaford, near Brighton, was led by a young couple who'd never been to Ashburnham or lived through our 'golden days'. But with the help of three Farm 'missionaries' the Abundant Grace enthusiasts were gathering a very Farm-looking bunch.

In London Steve had his head down building up his Acton base which was becoming very multiracial. In cosmopolitan

London, at least, we saw the rainbow church take shape with many nationalities represented in the congregation. Jesus

Army, London, with its kingdom aggression and Holy Spirit intoxication, was also a hit with many black churches.

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS NEW GENERATION

The secret of Steve's success? He admired Noel's spirit, drank deep of the community vision and was a happy mix of prophetic spirituality and winning love. His team in London had a knack of attracting 'quality' people and were producing a new generation of community lovers.

Brokenness, soul freedom and yielding to God were vital ingredients. Steve had known frequent anointings since our general outpouring in 1988. They were a rocket boost into new ministry. Now, at the summer campaign in London, Steve was doing strange things again in the worship times (like running backwards with his eyes closed). During the mission his team was so 'intoxicated' that passers-by came in to the marquee looking for the bar!

We, like many Christians, were discovering a new closeness to God through what the media were calling the 'Toronto Blessing'. In May we'd heard the story of Eleanor Mumford's visit to Toronto and the subsequent 'bedlam' of laughter, shaking and 'swooning' in the highly-respectable London Anglican church, Holy Trinity Brompton. The power-wave, connected with Toronto's Airport Vineyard Fellowship, was nothing if not startling. Before long it had spread into hundreds of British churches and alerted the national press.

Some of the things they reported were pretty bizarre. Roaring like lions, jerking like chickens and pogoing about like pneumatic drills didn't easily fit into the British mindset! Inevitably evangelicals of a more rational bent questioned whether this was really the Holy Spirit at work. However research into genuine historic revivals showed that such manifestations were not entirely new.

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS NEW GENERATION

We viewed the whole thing in a basically positive light. Our own leaders didn't make the pilgrimage to Toronto but we did receive fresh input and inspiration from all that was happening around the country. Renewed scenes of laughter and rolling in (and out of) the aisles were described in a Jesus

Life supplement devoted to the worldwide 'refreshing'. Children and teenagers were especially touched. 'It was like eating lovely food!' Faolan told us at the July Festival.

Emotional experiences and physical manifestations had been fairly common amongst us; especially since 1988. This got a mention in Patrick Dixon's new book Signs of Revival in which Noel reminded us that pentecostal wine was not just to intoxicate us but to produce pentecostal results.131 I guess our attitude now was similar to John Wesley's; we welcomed the signs, but got on with the job.

Through our experiences of anointings in 1988 God had taught us to beware of selfishness and to pour the blessing out where the need was greatest — into a weeping world.

The 'soft wind' of Toronto was bringing healing and refreshing to many of us. We welcomed that. But we looked forward to the stronger winds of repentance in the church and an awakening of the British people.

We were so grateful for the evident signs of a new breed now rising amongst us. These included many mature fathers like

Rufus, Ian and Steve and inspired sons such as Jason, Phil and Nathan. The hymn 'Treasures of Zion' was apt as the Jesus Fellowship entered its second generation:

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS NEW GENERATION

Now pass the torch to precious sons, Fathered from central Zion's ground.

Trained in these costly truths, these ones

Like new Elishas flock around!

Zion awake! Arise! Arise!

See now the depth that you have known;

Transcend it far! Press for the prize.

Now bring the sons of Zion home!

So many of us, new, old or middle-aged were longing for all that 'Zion' stood for. As the year ended a new song expressed that strong undercurrent of hope.

I see a golden age, a golden age

And laugh at the days to come.

30 UK, We Love You!

A figure emerged from the cold store outside the Goodness

Foods building and stepped into the warm January sunshine.

The scruffy young disciple sauntered through the warehouse and burst into the rest room singing cheerfully. Nathan paused to wipe the mist off his John Lennon glasses, stuck them back on his nose and strode over to Jason Tenderheart'. He gave him a boisterous bear-hug.

'Hallelujah! Praise God, bro!' he shouted. 'Your song was excellent last night.'

Jason had a reputation for being 'bananas about Jesus' and was a good songwriter. He was generally buoyant but this lunch time he looked down in the mouth.

'Hey, are you all right man?' asked Nathan stepping back.

'I suppose so,' muttered Jason. Then he straightened up and his eyes flashed.

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS NEW GENERATION

'It does my head right in!' he blurted: 'What's that, bro?' asked Nathan.

'Babylon mate! Worldliness, negativity. It cabbages me. I see it leering at us, trying to get in. It does my head right in.

Right in, I tell you. Ooow... You devil!'

'Calm down bro,' said Nathan soothingly.

'Calm down? — Grrr!' retorted Jason. 'I hate it! I hate it when the church isn't holy. She's supposed to be a praise in all the earth. She's the light, man, the light! And people whinge. I feel like smashing their Walkmans with a hammer!'

'Ah, I know bro,' smiled Nathan and picked up a guitar that was lying on one of the old beat-up armchairs.

'Don't let it bug you, Jase. There's some brilliant things cracking off. You know that. This is a new era, man!'

Nathan started to strum his guitar. Then he paused, and with a look of determination, he pointed a finger at Jason.

'It's going be better than its ever been — better than when I was a kid. They're hungry out there, bro. It's incredible.

These new guys at the Farm — they're radical man!

'Yeah — they're buzzed right up,' chuckled Jason. 'You're right. You know I really love this church. I love Cornhill, and the warehouse, but I get frustrated sometimes.'

'It's gonna be all right bro!' grinned Nathan. 'You wait!'

And he launched into a new song.

As the curtain fell on 1994 we didn't expect a huge applause

— at least not from God. There were hard facts to face. We were well behind in our planting programme and had achieved less than two-thirds of our targeted membership increase.

After several years of growth, numbers in community were

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS NEW GENERATION

showing a decrease, and finances were becoming stretched.

Stunted growth and short supplies were signs of a diseased heart and clogged arteries.

A new apostolic spirit had certainly been released. There was 'a call to holy passion'. But it was meeting a backlash of dead institutionalism. This had been a repeated pattern amongst us when any new initiative dared disturb the slumberers. Though people nowadays were more free to be themselves, there was less 'holy fear' around — more of a casual attitude to God.

Community was a particular cause for concern. Through all the comings and goings, changes, phases and anointings, the number of core members had hardly grown. Had the vision dimmed? Did the high note of discipleship sound as sweet and acceptable as once it had? Some houses began to rattle as families moved out to their own place. The Bugbrooke estate began to fill up again. Only this time it wasn't the gold rush into the promised land. It was the quiet retreat out.

Not that anything was grossly wrong. There was no scandal, no rebellion — at least, none worthy of the name. Just the quiet ongoing work of discouragement and the drooping spirit of the settler. Some of us had been communified for twenty years. Maybe 'Mother Zion' was growing long in the tooth.

On the positive side a new spiritual generation was on the boil. But the question was, who was in it? Who was for the future? Some of us who'd been reckless idealists in the 70s were now hitting mid-life crisis. The challenge was to maintain our spiritual passion.

The renewed call to sacrifice was rocking the boat. For the apostolic challenged, by its very nature, all that was institu-

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS NEW GENERATION

tional and lukewarm. The mellow approach we had adopted for the 90s was now sharpened up and 'smoking guns' were again in evidence. As long as Noel was around sinners would definitely not be 'at ease in Zion'.

Reality had to be faced. When, at Vineyard, Cyril suggested repairing the crumbling path up to the brothers cottage, Mike 'Rockfast' sighed: 'The real need, bro, is for brothers to walk on it!' In his annual review Mike shared his longings to see community houses fully revitalised: What we have become in terms of counterculture fits exactly with Jesus Revolution and God's work of preparation in the nation. I believe that new creation community is the answer to the longings of many a seeking heart. But I am not so sure that the version of it practised in many of our houses is as attractive as we fondly imagine.

He likened our national movement to a bush fire: burning at the edges but smouldering at the centre. The map showed outlying areas as generally healthy and motivated but with a central base that was sluggish. The Farm was an exception but their scene majored on young singles.

Cornhill Manor was full and attracting new people. But established families were moving out. Did community, Jesus

Army style, work in the real world of families, with so many children around? Some said a hearty yes but others struggled. For some it might be better to live in smaller houses with less pressure and yet remain in a common purse. We wanted to provide this as a positive option without the sense that they had 'failed'.

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS NEW GENERATION

The vision of main community houses as radical discipleship centres was intensified. Struggling businesses too were receiving some emergency input both spiritually and practically from a team led by Mike 'Rockfast'. Zealous 'young Davids' like Jason, Phil and Nathan, responded wholeheartedly and with sights set on a new golden age of community, pushed things along, engaging any cynical Sauls, proud Goliaths or worldly Philistines they met on the way.

God's word to us was to 'cleanse the house of the Lord'. In spirit Noel saw an angel pouring out bowls of judgement and blessing on the church. The following months revealed the outworking of this as some scenes dwindled and others blossomed. As the Jesus Army steamed on into 1995 the growing cry was 'Lord, revive our church households' — from the roots up!

Towards the end of 1994 things had begun to hot up in London. The year had been OK, but not stunning, and they were a little weary with all the stress and pain of church building.

Community families were struggling there too.

'There must be more' was a popular song and a common sentiment. Steve asked God for a new spirit of prophecy in the group. They had experienced a renewed soaking in the Holy Spirit with ecstatic worship, laughter, people under the table and the like. But Steve was hungry for more. He wanted the complete Acts 2 power package: dreams, visions and prophecy — plus a startlingly new community.

As leaders we could motivate, push and preach the apostolic message. And we did. But the power of revival was personal encounters with the Lord Jesus and a prophetically awak-

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS NEW GENERATION

ened spirit. 'Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams' (Acts 2:17). That, in a nutshell, was our need.

Steve spoke about restoring God's house, quoting Ezra and Haggai. There was a marked prophetic anointing and a real sense that the Lord was coming through: 'You expected much, but it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why? Because of my house which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house' (Hag 1:9).

As Steve pressed the word home it sliced into self-motivation. Power was at the altar of sacrifice. Whilst in full flow he suddenly stopped: 'I've just seen an angel on his way with a golden bowl of oil and a scroll.' Then he began to prophesy.

The response was dramatic. People were weeping and repenting all over the room. Some were freed from demonic oppression. Others just cried out for their first love. A hymn they often passionately sung was this:

Jerusalem, ablaze with light;

The gold, the glory in the night!

Gaze on her till your spirit's flame

Leaps upward, kindled at the name;

Zion! Where Jesus reigns.

The message of Haggai was poignant: 'Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now?' (Hag 2:3). Some tended to look back at 'the good old days'. There, in a hazy mist, before techno-colour, communications, Jesus Army, or even evangelism, lay the quiet green fields, the noble hymns and exquisite brotherhood we had

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