Save the date… 9/11/16 – Be with us at David’s Tent DC on that day! A number of national prayer ministries are coming together to have a special time of prayer with us at the tent on Sept. 11th. We believe a new 9 11 is rising… a new 9 11 that is full of restoration, not destruction. Is it time for Amos 9:11 in our nation?
“In that day “I will restore David’s fallen shelter— I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins— and will rebuild it as it used to be, Amos 9:11 NIV
Hope, Faith, and Peace in Jesus will overcome fear in America. The Lord will repair our nation’s broken walls and restore it’s ruins. Join in on site or via webcast for a special day at David’s Tent on Sept 11th this year. It’s an honor for David’s Tent DC to host this special prayer gathering on our anniversary no less. What a privilege to give God the Glory for the first year in our nation’s history that 24/7 worship and prayer has taken place continuously in our capital city of Washington DC. Hundreds of worship teams, prayer ministries and churches and thousands of individuals have kept the fire on the altar day and night for a full year as of 9/11/16.
“IfMyPeople2016” is the name of this very special event happening at David’sTent on 9 11. It’s based on a verse most know well from 2 Chron. 7:14. But the focus is on the “IF”. Let’s press in for fresh faith in the reality of His Word, still true in 2016… “He will heal our land.” Save the date… 9/11/16 to be with us at David’s Tent DC for an amazing one year anniversary celebration of 24/7 on the National Mall and a truly remarkable gathering of prayer ministries to help fuel our 24/7 fires.
Immediately following the IfMyPeople Event, David’sTent will have 90 minutes of full on celebratory worship that is the hallmark of DavidsTent, to usher in our second year. Watch and share the promo video below. Get more info at IfMyPeople2016.com
Dan & Carole McClelland, ASL Leaders at DavidsTentDC
God is a God that loves to partner with His children! He loves to invites us along as He touches hearts here on earth. “Going to work” with Dad, is one of my favorite things! I love how He gently nudges my heart toward a person or a group and softly whispers “Carole, I want to touch his heart today, will you join me?” At David’s Tent, I have the honor of going to work with Dad.
One Saturday, we had a team in from a Texas house of prayer. As they entered the tent, I knew that God wanted to touch hearts and he was inviting me to join Him. At David’s tent, we believe that as the worship team is completely focusing upward towards Jesus and ministering to His heart, God will be faithful and minister to the people in the tent and around the area. I knew that this worship team would vertically worship God and through their worship God would pour out Himself to His people today. On that day, as I was greeting people who came into the tent, a woman walked in, and she shared that she had passed this tent so many times but for various reasons never stopped in. Today, however, she just wanted to let our staff know how encouraged she was by the tent even though she wasn’t able to come in until now. She continued telling me that, like herself, there was many others that knew about David’s Tent in DC who didn’t always have the time to come in and worship. Still they were very encouraged and thankful for what we were giving up to make this happen. God was using her to touch my heart.
When this woman, Kristen, came into the tent with her infant son and sat down, we started talking. I learned she lived very close to the tent and was an active member of a local church in DC. I was just about to pray for her, as she and son had to leave, when an older gentleman around 60 came in. I greeted him saying, “Welcome to David’s Tent. Have you been here before?” I could see he had a scared look on his face. Suddenly he started crying, saying, “I’m terrified! I’m terrified! I’m terrified!” With as soft and sweet of a voice as I could manage, I said, “It’s okay. You can sit down. You’re welcome here.” Even though I was not completely sure what was going on inside of his heart, I knew that God wanted to do a healing work inside this man.
He then continued to explain that he had passed the tent many, many times but had never had the courage to come in. He was afraid that people would judge him because of the past sins that he’d done in his life. As we talked, he continued to interject into every other sentence, “I am terrified. I am terrified.” Kristen overheard what he was saying, and she approached him and said, “I said the exact same thing to this staff person about five minutes ago. God has really put you on my heart as I have listened. May I pray for you? “
The three of us (well four including the baby) went outside the tent so we could pray. I asked the man if he minded if we put our hands on him as we prayed. As he nodded his head yes, he started crying. Kristen prayed a very powerful prayer that brought more tears to the man’s eyes. He thanked her for praying and said, “The one thing that I would like to offer you is the only thing that I can. I will sing you a song.” Immediately he started singing Jesus Loves Me. As he lifted his beautiful voice in song, Kristen and I sang along with him.
Kristen said her goodbyes and said that she would come to the tent even if she only had 10 minutes. In response, I encouraged her to come; God wanted to use her in powerful ways no matter how short the time.
After she left, I introduced myself to the man, Terry. We decided to sit on a bench and talk. As we did, Terry started telling me that he never told anyone the things he was sharing because he felt like he was going to be rejected and judged. He continued that he hadn’t walked into a church for many years. However, today he felt that he had to come into the tent and tell someone. He shared for an hour-and–a-half. During this time, I mostly listened and gave some encouragement here and there. Towards the end of our discussion, Holy Spirit prompted me that I was to look him in the eye and say, “Terry, God wants you to know some things. The first is that He says to you what He said to Jesus during his baptism: ‘You are my son, Terry. I love you and I’m very proud of you.’ ” Again tears rolled down his eyes as I just hugged him. I continued and said, “God wants you to know that He forgives you for these things for which you have repented. You have taken a bold step in trusting Him today by coming into the tent.”
I finished by praying for continual boldness for him, by encouraging him to develop healthy relationships with other believers, and by giving him a sincere hug.
God had done so much in just one morning by pouring into people’s lives. Not only into other people’s lives, but Father was doing a huge work in me as I was able to partner with Him to bring healing to one of His sons, my brother in Christ.
When the Texas team was done with their two hour set, I knew I had to share the testimony of what God did during the morning. Our Heavenly Father had used them to draw people to His presence. As I shared, the team members also broke down in tears for the opportunity to partner with Father in His work. Through their worship and sincere hearts, God was continuing to do His mighty works at David’s Tent and throughout DC.
There are people who know how to mathematically come up with a generally accurate number as to crowd sizes at large events. I am not one of them. However I do suppose that several hundred thousand people gathered in DC in the name of Jesus for Together 2016.
It was a HUGE win for the Home Team!
Though it was super sad to see it end early due to an excruciatingly high heat index, it was at that very moment that I heard what I believe the Lord Jesus wanted to tell the Whole Church of America. The single greatest message of the day. It was the sermon on the Mount. Jesus speaking to His people through Nick Hall, straight out of Matthew7:24. Nick basically concluded that they didn’t gather people there to just stay there, but to send them out. And with that, Nick challenged everyone there to go out and actually spend time doing all that they were just charged to do.
If we the church would only actually do all that Jesus has instructed us! It’s in plain language written down clearly in a book for all to read! A house build on a rock, hears the Word and put’s it into practice!
Pastor Dave Owens at Embassy Church in NW Washington DC (One of my home churches) reflected with me on Sunday that as he walked away he was watching people minister to one another and to the lost on the streets all around the mall!
At David’s Tent we saw a ground swell at about 4:30 as people were exiting Together. People packed into the tent. It was full and overflowing. Then is started to rain. People packed even closer like sardines underneath the canopy of the tent and worshipped with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. As the clouds departed and the rain held it’s peace, four rainbows appeared at the same time over Washington DC! And a crowd of people encircled David’s Tent while holding hands and worshipping with all their voice.
It was a picture of Together. People that didn’t know each other before, holding hands in a unified circle, around the worship of Jesus Christ.
As the worship circle ran it’s course, a “fire tunnel” (Two rows of people facing each other pray for people as they walk down the center between them.) was born and for the next two hours people were getting prayed for, ministered to, and encouraged anew with the Holy Spirit. All of this happened spontaneously outside of the direction of any of the David’s Tent staff. I can say with certainty that many left Together and immediately began putting the Word into Practice.
When I left the tent at about 9:30pm there were still a remnant of worshippers filling the tent and the courts of the Lord with their worship.
Wow! What a day…
Four rainbows! I’ve never met a single human being that could do that…
I was running late. If I just don’t make eye contact with anyone, I can make it to Subway, quickly get in and out with some food, and make it to class on time. And then it came.
“Hello, can you spare some change?”
Hurriedly, I decided to keep my head down and walk past without acknowledging the plea. I was late, I reasoned to myself, and had a very good excuse to pass him by. Then, after walking about 100 yards from this homeless man on the street, God gripped my heart with compassion. I felt like He literally poured His heart for this man into mine; I could not keep walking.
I turned around and said, “I don’t have any change but I am going to Subway. May I buy you a sandwich?”
He replied, “Well, I have cataracts, and I really need a pair of sunglasses.”
“Okay. You go in the dollar store and choose your sunglasses. I will get the sandwiches, then come back to buy the glasses for you.”
After waiting in a long line at Subway, I got the sandwiches and came back. The man, whose name I later learned is Jeffery, had a surprised look on his face like he had the thought, “She came back!” I asked him if he had chosen a pair of glasses to which he responded, “ Yes, ma’am.” We walked back in the dollar store, and in the first counter, I saw a pair of discarded sunglasses that did not belong. Jeffrey was used to disappointment.
I turned to him, and made eye contact. Smiling, I said, “Hello. My name is Carole. How are you today?”
Let me take you back a few days in my life to put this story in context with God’s amazing, teaching moments. I am a full-time missionary here in Washington DC with David’s Tent. Once a month, for a week, all of David’s Tent staff gather together in the same room and receive teachings on different topics to challenge, encourage, inspire and allow Holy Spirit to fill us. This week, Jason Hershey, asked my husband and me to teach on “How to Study the Bible”. We decided to teach from Philemon. Each one of you should stop and read this book. It is literally just one page of the Bible, a short 25 verses, but it is packed with gems for us today!
Bible Study
We spent two days just diving into the book. The first day we focused on Observation: asking ourselves what does the book say? During this part of the study we ask questions like who, what, where, when and how. We also look for repeated themes and words in Philemon, such as love, beloved, and my heart. Other key words reveal how we are all family in the kingdom of God as Paul uses brother, sister, and my child. Overall the purpose of observation is to catch the overall atmosphere of the book.
On the second day, the class dove into Interpretation: asking ourselves what did the text mean to the original readers? We practiced removing the cultural filters in our minds that influence our interpretation and, instead, putting ourselves in the shoes of a 1st century believer in the house church of Philemon. What would this letter mean to them? Why did Paul write this letter? What was Onesimus thinking returning to his former Master? Would Philemon receive him as Paul is asking him to now that he is a believer? What would the Roman soldiers do if they find out that Philemon might not punish his slave for running away when legally, according to Roman law, the slave should be severely punished if not killed? On this teaching day, my husband focused on helping the David’s Tent staff think about what the people of this day, living in their culture, would be thinking and consequently, would be reacting.
On the third day, the day I met Jeffrey, I would be leading the class into Application: what does this mean to me and how can I apply it to my life? As a class, we were going to pull out universal truths that can be applied to anyone, in any culture, during any time period, and then talk about what that truth means to them and how they can apply it to their lives. I have personally studied and taught this book before, but God had more to teach me. The night before teaching application, God was convicting my heart for Kingdom truths to penetrate my soul and being. Truths like “In Christ, all believers are equal in value” and “as believers we have a choice and must choose to love”.
These were the truths that God had put before me as I walked past Jeffery on my way to teach class. I knew I had to stop. I had to allow the Word of God to bring LIFE CHANGE in me as that is the reason we study the Bible! We want the truths to change who we are and make us more and more like Jesus. That is why I turned around. Our Father moved on my heart for compassion, because God loves Jeffery just as much as He loves me and cared deeply for Jeffrey’s eyes to see some relief from the hot summer DC sun. In that same moment, my Father was demonstrating His love for me by teaching me to care about the things He cares about. My heavenly Dad was beside me, instructing me to apply what He was teaching me in Philemon: that all people, whether homeless or living in a mansion, are of equal value in God’s eyes. God cares for them all. He was showing me that right there I had the choice to love. I love this testimony because it happened on my way to one of the other David Tent’s community houses, a familiar road I travel. Now, every time I drive to this house, passing that Subway, I remember and pray for Jeffery. I thank God for the opportunity that I had to partner with Him in Jeffery’s life by buying Jeffrey a pair of sunglasses and praying for him that day. I am also grateful for how my life was changed. I grew in understanding the Father’s heart of compassion by studying the Word of God.
It was a warm Saturday afternoon, and the black gospel band on stage at David’s Tent was pumping praises to Jesus with exuberant energy and joy. I found myself irresistibly drawn to clap and sing along, and as I looked around I noticed dozens of people gathering to do the same. There was a group of Chinese tourists, a couple of DC locals on a bike ride, a Muslim family from somewhere in the middle-east, and many others. It was clear that most of the people at the tent were passers-by and not people who came to the National Mall with the intention of attending David’s Tent. But the sound of worship at the tent attracted them irresistibly and they stopped to listen, filled with curiosity and with smiles on their faces. Our staff warmly welcomed those who stopped by, and many stayed for long conversations about Jesus or received prayer. The good news of the gospel was shared over and over that afternoon, and I know that wouldn’t have happened without the draw of the worship. That afternoon sticks out in my mind as a perfect example of the power of public worship to present Jesus to the world.
In my last blog, (Why here? Part 1) I shared how we worship in Washington DC because it is the place of highest honor in our nation. I talked about the identity of a capital city as a center for worship, and how Jesus is worthy of a national offering of praise. Our desire above all things is to make Jesus central and bless His heart! Today, I’ll continue on this theme of “Why Here?” and share how making Jesus central is such a powerful avenue to sharing the gospel.
When you think of a city center you generally think of a bustling downtown filled with all kinds of people. Washington DC completely fits that description, and it’s not just filled with Americans. Every nation but four maintains an embassy in Washington DC (and two of those four still maintain diplomatic representation)—more than any other city on earth! Over 20 million visitors came to Washington in 2014, and almost 2 million of those were international. The nations truly gather in Washington, perhaps more so than anywhere else on earth.
In the midst of all this, David’s Tent proclaims the worth of Jesus round the clock in public song. Night and day, the sound of worship at David’s Tent never stops as we declare how beautiful, wonderful, and loving our Savior is. And this isn’t just to bless His heart, though that is the primary reason. Matthew 5:15-16 says:
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
The worship at David’s Tent shines as a light pointing to Jesus, even as the worship draws His presence near. Jason Hershey says in his book: “This act of worship releases a Spirit of revelation so that even the lost get to see the beauty of Jesus.” And it’s true! The beauty of Jesus is captivating to every heart. And it’s not just who He is, but what He has done. Psalms 118:15 says: “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!” This is such an attractive sound! The sound of joy and victory stands in sharp contrast to the sound of hopelessness so prevalent in the world.
Often, people attracted to the tent ask questions: Why do we sing? Why is Jesus worthy of this lavish devotion? How do we have such hope and joy in the midst of turbulent times? Questions like these give us the perfect opportunity to share the gospel with people eager to hear. Surprisingly often this may be the first time someone has heard the good news of Jesus in their entire life! Many of the curious who are drawn to the tent come from other nations where the gospel is not allowed to be shared openly. We’ve had the opportunity to share the message of salvation through the blood of Jesus with visitors from Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, Tibet, Somalia, and all over the world. And many have accepted Him as Savior and Lord!
Jesus says in John 12:32 “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” He was speaking of His resurrection from the dead, but I believe the principle applies to public worship as well. When Jesus is lifted up on our praises and we declare His resurrection from the dead, I know that He will draw the nations to the new life found in Him.
I can think of few places busier and more bustling with people from around the world than the National Mall in summer. And this is where we have the privilege to host David’s Tent! In this central place among the nations, our humble white tent stands as a shining light and public witness to Jesus, 24/7. This is what it means to make Jesus central. Not only to give Him the place of highest honor, but to present Him to the world in all of His glorious beauty. Jesus deserves to be central in our cities, our churches, our lives, and in every soul. Hallelujah!
I recognize that not all of us can come stand as a witness to Jesus on the National Mall. So my encouragement to you is to stand as a public witness to Jesus wherever you are, with the sound of joy and victory bursting from your life! He has made us new, and He has made us glad! Let us boldly declare His worth and His beauty in line at the grocery store, at the swimming pool, at our workplace, when we’re waiting at the DMV, and in every area of life. The message of Jesus is good news to a lost and broken world!
In part 3 of this blog I’ll explore the third primary reason I believe we hold David’s Tent on the National Mall in Washington DC: unity among the church. Once again, I also highly recommend checking out Jason Hershey’s book “David’s Tent: Jesus is Worthy of a Nation’s Praise” for further reading. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to sharing with you again!
We are all grieved at the continuing deadly violence in our country. A nation is crying out! The other morning this Headline showed up on CNN, and very much grabbed my heart.
ONLY JESUS can heal America!
It won’t be the next President or even the hot evangelist. Nor the amazing mega church or innovative new inventions. Nor will it be the most popular worship band or strategy to reach our city. Though God does use and work through people, it will only be Jesus.
Jesus is the only One.
America, please please please turn to Him and be saved.
“If my people will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways and seek my face, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14.
There must be more prayer meetings than protests. If we as a nation are going to cry out, may we cry out to the One who is Mighty to save. He alone can save us.
It was a warm Saturday afternoon, and the black gospel band on stage at David’s Tent was pumping praises to Jesus with exuberant energy and joy. I found myself irresistibly drawn to clap and sing along, and as I looked around I noticed dozens of people gathering to do the same. There was a group of Chinese tourists, a couple of DC locals on a bike ride, a Muslim family from somewhere in the middle-east, and many others. It was clear that most of the people at the tent were passers-by and not people who came to the National Mall with the intention of attending David’s Tent. But the sound of worship at the tent attracted them irresistibly and they stopped to listen, filled with curiosity and with smiles on their faces. Our staff warmly welcomed those who stopped by, and many stayed for long conversations about Jesus or received prayer. The good news of the gospel was shared over and over that afternoon, and I know that wouldn’t have happened without the draw of the worship. That afternoon sticks out in my mind as a perfect example of the power of public worship to present Jesus to the world.
e continuing deadly violence in our country. A nation is crying out! The other morning this Headline showed up on CNN, and very much grabbed my heart.