Tent Revivals 2012 and God Providing a Tent!
I left off yesterday with the following paragraph…
Now… The rest of the story….
We began to genuinely contemplate having tent revivals in 2012 and I knew I needed two things if I was going to do it. I needed a tent of my own with a the capability of expanding for bigger crowds (And the appropriate chairs and all the stuff that goes along with a tent.) but secondly and most important I needed divine direction. Even though I began to plan next summer I knew I needed God to speak to me. Little did I know that we would receive both of those things in one miraculous event.
I have been in contact with Miami Missionary Tent Company since we set the tent up in Miami, Oklahoma in June. I purchased a patch kit, tent stakes, side walls and a stake puller from them and learned a whole lot about tents from them as well. They have been an invaluable resource for me this summer. After looking at several tent companies it is my opinion that Miami Missionary Tent Company makes the best tent on the market and have the best prices too. That is a good combination.
We zeroed in on a 48 foot round tent that can expand to 48x70 oval. This gives us just a little more room than this years tent and is still small enough that it doesn’t swallow a crowd of 100. With it expanded to 48x70 it should seat close to 350 under the tent. We were also considering a similar rectangle tent and a smaller round tent. Each option we were considering was priced in the area of $6500. The tent chairs can be found at around a $1000 per 100 chairs and we would need to purchase 200-300. The tent prices are good until at least December so we had a while to pray and plan.
While in revival at Faith Church in Salem, Kentucky with Pastor Phillip Sanders, his son Bro. Israel Sanders asked me about the tent revivals in casual conversation. We talked about my motivation, the results and future plans. Later in the week, Pastor Sanders told me that Bro. Israel felt like giving a substantial amount toward the purchase of a new tent for our ministry and that the church home mission program was going to make up the difference. I was naturally blown away by their kindness and generosity. I never expected that God would use one church to provide the tent much less that Pastor Sanders, Bro. Israel and Faith Church would be the ones to do it. I can not express how amazed I was and am. It happened so fast it kind of shook my mind. I was shocked, stunned, startled, surprised, astonished, astounded, flabbergasted and dumfounded! You get the picture?
Then came the second thing I needed. When I told Kelly Jo about the tent she started weeping. But she was weeping over much more than God providing a tent. She was weeping because God had provided direction. Kelly Jo knew I was seeking God for direction and she began to do the same. Her prayer was something like this: “God, this summer has been a summer of hard work in these tent revivals. If we do more tent revivals next year it is going to be even harder. We are willing to do it but we really need to know it is your will for us. God, you don’t have to do anything for me. I am not demanding this of you or putting it out as a fleece. If you speak to my husband that is good enough for me. But If you want us to do tent revivals next year you could let me know by giving Davy a tent. You don’t have to do it but if you gave Davy a tent I would know it was your will for us to do tent revivals next summer.”
I cry just reading over that prayer. It is especially touching coming from Kelly Jo. She is one of the most unselfish people in the world and her prayers rarely concern things or stuff. Yet quietly and without any one else knowing she asks God for one thing in order that she might know His will… and God answered her prayer. Isn’t that amazing? God in His infinite mercy and grace gave us the two things we needed to conduct tent revivals next summer. In one miraculous event God provided a tent AND direction. Wow!
I am so thankful to God for providing the money for the new tent. I am thankful to Faith Church, Pastor Phillip Sanders and Bro. Israel Sanders for their sacrificial giving to our ministry. I know that God will bless them for their giving. I know that because it is a law. We reap what we sow. In fact, that is another amazing part of this story. Are you bored yet? Can I share some more?
On Friday August 26th during service at Dryden Rd. Campmeeting I felt what I now know was the voice of the Lord reminding me of my old 16x32 GP Medium Army tent in storage in Wichita. It is the first tent that I purchased and preached under several times in Wichita, Kansas while I was pastoring there. He reminded me of that tent and I said, “Yes, I remember that tent. I got it out and looked at it in May while I was preaching for Bro. DiZazzo. It is a great tent for 40-50 people but it is not large enough for what I need it to do.”
In my spirit I felt the Lord speak to me to give it away and He could give me another tent. The next day while driving I was talking to my dear friend Bro. Larry Landress a missionary to Mexico. I know he has used tents identical to mine in the past for new churches in remote areas of Mexico until they can build a more permanent structure. I asked Bro. Landress if he could use my tent at this time and he said he could. He told me that with the dangers in Mexico right now he did not know when he could drive it in (They have been flying in to their base about 1450 miles south of the border since the drug cartels make the roads so dangerous) but there was a definite need for it. I told him that the tent now belonged to him and he could go pick it up anytime he wanted it or that I would pick it up the next time I was in Wichita if possible. I also told him what I had felt the day before and he said, “I’m gonna pray that the Lord gives you a tent.”
Honestly, after that conversation I forgot completely about it. I never thought another thing about the Army tent or giving it to Bro. Landress or God replacing it with another tent. I never even thought about it when Pastor Sanders told me what they were going to do or when Kelly Jo told me about her prayer. I never thought about it until Pastor Sanders announced in church that they were going to buy the tent. Then it all came flooding back with lots of tears and emotion. God has proven Himself once again. I can trust his Word!
That’s the story of our Summer of Tent Revivals 2011 and the plan for Tent Revivals 2012. Isn’t God amazing the way He works. I know that God is going to help is in those revivals next year. I know that people are going to get saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost. I know that folks are going to be healed, encouraged and blessed. I know that Pastors are going be on fire, churches are going to be stirred and communities are going to be changed.
Can you tell I am excited? We give God all the glory for what He has done and praise Him in advance for what He is going to do. Will you commit to praying for us concerning tent revivals next year? Thank you...
We also have one more tent revival this October in Richton, Mississippi for Pastor Scott Morris. We are expecting great things in Richton as well.
God bless you all,
Davy
