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“Open your eyes
& take a good look at what’s right in front of you.
These fields are
ripe. It’s harvest time!” (John 4:35)
For nearly 30 years I have been studying and teaching the
Bible, and leading souls to Christ. Barbara and I love to lead
people to Christ and teach them about their authority in Him. This is
why we desire the tents, trucks and equipment to drive across North America
like a Giant Spiritual Combine reaping a Soul Harvest.
There’s nothing more important to us than plundering Hell and
populating Heaven with souls ... millions and millions of souls because
Jesus' Coming is on the horizon!
The above pictures are of custom wheat
harvesting equipment. If you live in the Midwestern
United States, this is a familiar scene to you. It is to me. While attending Bible School in Oklahoma
in the mid-eighties I drove similar big rigs for the biggest independent wheat harvester in
that state. These custom harvesters
travel from harvest field to harvest field, moving quickly, bringing in the
ripened harvest for local farmers.
Jesus often used harvesting analogies when
teaching about the harvest of souls to be reaped in the Earth.
Natural harvesters travel from ripened field to ripened field reaping on
behalf of local farmers. We will travel with our giant tents, trucks
and committed crew from ripened spiritual harvest field to ripened
spiritual harvest field reaping on behalf of local Pastors throughout North
America. Wherever we reap, we will leave the spiritual harvest of
precious souls with the local Pastors who will nurture, teach and care for
them. We will then move quickly to the next ripened harvest field
where other local Pastors are waiting.
The idea of Tent Evangelism has been in
my heart for nearly thirty years. When I was a child, the Holy
Spirit birthed a fascination with Circus tents within me that only grows
stronger as I get older. Since I was a little boy, I have had a love
affair with tractor-trailers. My grandfather owned a trucking company
and I learned to drive semi-trucks as a teenager. As a young man I
went on to tour America, driving tractor-trailers for entertainers such as
Marvin Gaye, Chicago, Andy Gibb, Tony Orlando and Wayne Newton. After
having a supernatural encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, I became
determined to use my experiences to introduce the multitudes to Him.
Giant tents and giant trucks were not
created to simply entertain the masses. They’re a part of God’s Plan
to win the masses to Christ. It’s all about souls and this is a very
crucial time in human history. We absolutely must make the most of
the days that remain. Every minute of every day is crucial.
Every prayer that you pray concerning the lost is crucial. Every seed
that you plant towards saving the lost is crucial. So crucial, in
fact, we believe God will bring you tremendous, tremendous increase for
every financial or material seed you plant towards the harvesting of souls
through the use of giant tents and giant trucks.
You’re looking at a photograph of a
“Cupola” style circus tent. This tent belongs to Circus Pinder in
France. We’re showing you this because it is the style of tent that
God has dropped into our hearts. Barbara and I have literally
searched worldwide via the Internet studying the tents used by the Circuses
of the world. We have communicated with Circus “tent masters”,
managers, employees, Italian and Mexican tent manufacturers, specialists
and “aficionados”. We have learned much about what it takes to travel
and work with a tent the style and size of this one.
This tent is called a Cupola Tent
because it has a large cupola on top similar to what you see on top of old
American barns and some Colonial homes. The cupola allows air to be drawn
up from the tent floor and out the top for ventilation. With the
exception of the side curtains, all of the tent fabric is actually
connected to the cupola. This style of tent is quite different from
those used in Circuses and Evangelistic Crusades of the past. Those
older style tents were called “Pole Tents” or “Bale Ring Tents”.
In
those days steel spikes at the tops of the wooden poles would be pushed
through the steel bale rings in the canvas. Elephants, trucks or a
brigade of men and women would then drag the bottom of the pole. This
would force the pole to stand upright, pushing the canvas up and supporting
the Big Top. You can see this older system in the following
photographs of Evangelist A.A. Allen’s pole tent of the 1950’s.
You can see quite easily in these
photographs the number of poles needed to hold up this old canvas
tent. In the aerial photograph you can see how the center pole steel
spikes protrude through the bale rings in the canvas. These tents
were both fascinating and effective. However, tent technology has
changed. Most larger, modern tents no longer use only poles and bale
rings nor are they constructed of canvas. Larger tents today use
“masts” in place of center poles and the “fabric” is made of hi-tech vinyl
as opposed to canvas. Modern tents are often referred to as “tensile
structures”.
This is a photograph of Circus Pinder’s
Cupola Tent loaded on a customized drop frame trailer for transport.
The red steel racks at the very top of the trailer are the Tent
Masts. Below them is the yellow curved cupola. Underneath the
cupola you can actually see the “Big Top” fabric rolled and folded.
The stakes and rigging that hold the masts up are all stored in the boxes that
are built into the special drop frame trailer. It’s quite a unique
system and is used by Circuses worldwide for transporting some of the
biggest tents in the world.
We’re changing Circuses and countries in
this photo. This Cupola Tent belongs to Circus Finlandia in
Finland. These pictures give a good visual of the tent “build
up”. The hydraulic arm mounted to the tractor that pulls the trailer
is unloading the masts. In place of this hydraulic arm, we will use a
“Tag Along” portable forklift (pictured later in this article) capable of
lifting the steel masts. The “Tag Along” will also be used to pull
the tent stakes out of the ground easily when it’s time for the “tear
down”. During the “build up”, the masts are laid out on the ground,
as seen, bolted together, anchored to the ground on steel plates and pulled
upright by hand jacks or portable motors.
This photograph shows the tent masts
upright and anchored all around the customized drop frame trailer.
Notice how the red cupola “arms” are extended outward. They’re
attached to cables that are beginning to pull the cupola to the top of the
masts. The cables can be pulled upward by electric motors mounted
within the masts or by hand jacks that operate manually. You can also
see the tent fabric beginning to come out from under the cupola in this
photograph.
Here the cupola continues its climb to
the top of the giant masts. You can easily see how much “Big Top”
fabric is actually stored under the cupola while on the drop frame
trailer. Once the fabric is fully extended, the drop frame trailer is
removed to make room for the center ring of the Circus. In our case,
we will leave our customized trailer inside the tent, placing an attractive
skirting all around it, with stairs. The trailer then becomes the
platform for the Preacher, pulpit, musicians, etc.
This photograph shows the cupola and fabric
fully extended and suspended from the masts. Once the seating is set
up inside the tent, the side curtains are hung and the tent is pretty much
operational. Large generators are carried on another truck, which are
used to produce electricity for lighting, sound system, etc. This
tent is smaller than the one we have asked the Lord for. However,
these sequential photographs reveal the uniqueness of the modern tensile
structure “build up”.
This is a photograph of the inside of
Circus Finlandia’s Cupola Tent. Three of the four masts are visible,
as well as some of the “quarter poles”. You can see how the masts can
be used to mount lighting or even cameras for recording services for
television production. Notice the lightmen suspended from the masts. The inside and the outside of our Cupola
Tent will be much different than that of a Circus tent but these
photographs give a very good idea of what the Lord has dropped into our
hearts for the preaching of His Good News.
The preaching of the Gospel is the most
important job in the world. It must be done with excellence!
It’s the most important Message in the world. It must be packaged
with excellence! Therefore, we have asked the Lord for at least two
new Mack Vision Tractors with two customized Trailers. We have also
asked Him for a smaller equipment truck, as well as a Motor Home /
Coach. We are unleashing faith for beautiful equipment
such as the Mack Vision and Prevost Coach pictured below.
A matching pair of Mack tractors with customized
trailers, a Motor coach and a utility truck all painted to match the giant
Cupola Tent will surely draw attention when they’re positioned on the
property of the local Church who brought us in to help reap the local
Harvest.
This is a
photograph of the type of “Conventional 18-inch Drop Frame Trailer” needed
for transporting the Cupola Tent fabric, masts, rigging, some of the seating
and the “Tag Along” forklift. The upper deck will be customized to
extend out over the lower deck all the way to the rear. This creates
a level platform on top for transporting the Cupola Tent and for standing
on to preach inside the tent. This also creates a storage space
between the upper deck and lower deck for storing rigging, tent stakes,
other tools and equipment. Removable upright racks will be customized
to carry the tent masts above the cupola while in transit. You can see how
Circus Pinder customized their trailer in exactly this way in photos
above. I have counseled with a steel fabricator / engineer who has
customized these trailers in this way. He is confident that this type of
customization is a “breeze.”
The custom trailers in these photographs
are called “Drop Frame Vans”. You can see the way the trailer “drops”
directly behind the tractor tires. This is why it is called a “Drop
Frame”. Drop frame trailers result in a tremendous amount of
headroom. The headroom creates a place to hang lighting racks and
other lightweight large items. The floor space in this huge trailer
carries seating, road cases for sound and recording equipment, musical
instruments and a multitude of other things necessary for conducting
itinerate tent crusades. This type of trailer is also large enough to
carry a small automobile in the rear, directly over the back tires.
Got to run errands, too, you know!
The US Army and the Pontiac Racing
graphics are an example of the type of graphics available today.
Simple, striking exterior graphics draw lots of attention. It is
reported that specialized tractor-trailer graphics turn the heads of over
ten million individuals annually. Now that’s witnessing for
Christ! As we said, our Cupola Tent and all of our trucks and road equipment
will be graphics/color coordinated, creating an awesome visual package, all
calling attention to an Awesome Savior.
 This photograph shows the “Tag Along”
forklift mounted to the rear of a truck similar to the way we will carry
ours. Special slots will be cut and welded into the back of the
customized Cupola Tent trailer. The “Tag Along” operator simply pulls up
slowly behind the trailer, directing the “Tag Along” forks into the
slots. Using the control to tell the forks to “drop” actually lifts
the “Tag Along” off the ground. A special ratchet strap keeps
the “Tag Along” in place as the truck moves down the road. Now that
you know what a “Tag Along” is, you’ll start seeing them everywhere.
They were created along with all of the other wonderful equipment you have
seen here today for such a time as this – Harvest Time!
If the idea of using this giant
equipment to preach the Gospel is as exciting to you as it is to us, that’s
the Holy Spirit talking to you. (Romans 8:14-16) We trust you’ll
respond to His leading and pray about becoming a Tent Evangelism Partner
with us. As you do, please keep the passage of Scripture below in
mind. It’s about you. It’s about all the men and women who are
“called to send” those of us who are “called to go” with the Gospel of
Jesus Christ to the masses.
One day David returned to his camp and
found that a band of giants had plundered it. They carried away with
them all the women, children and material possessions. David assigned
warriors to come with him to pursue the Amalekite giants. He assigned
others to stay behind and guard the camp. He successfully rescued the
women and children and their possessions, taking all the Amalekite’s
possessions as well. Upon return, some of the warriors who went with
David didn’t want to share the spoil with the warriors who stayed behind as
the “National Guard”. That made David angry. This is what he
said in response.
“Who would ever listen to this kind of
talk? The share of the one who stays with the gear is the share of the one
who fights--equal shares. Share and share alike!" From that day on,
David made that the rule in Israel--and it still is.” (1 Samuel 30:24-25,
Message Bible)
Still today, those who are called to
stay and send will receive the same reward as those of us who are called to
go and preach. As a Tent Evangelism Partner / Sender, you will
receive THE EXACT SAME REWARD as we will at the Bema (Greek: Reward)
Judgment Seat of Christ for every soul saved under the Gospel Big Top.
(2Corinthians 5:10)
Jesus is coming and He’s coming
soon. The world is more ready to be evangelized and to hear about the
Love of God than it ever has been at any other time in all of human history.
Possibly you have a burning desire to do
something for Christ and this article has stirred you in your spirit. You may have experience driving large
trucks or buses. You may have
experience as a Tentmaster, mechanic, circus “roustabout,” etc. You may have no experience in any of
these areas but are interested in becoming part of our itinerate Tent Crew
in reaching North America for Christ.
Maybe you’d like to provide part of or
an entire Tent for us. Possibly you’d like to provide one or more of
the Trucks and Trailers through leasing or purchase. Maybe you’d like
to make a monthly contribution towards operating expenses. Simply go to our Contact Page
and let us hear from you. All involvement is necessary and significant,
large or small. One way or another, we pray you’ll join with us as we
go after the lost souls of the world – all of them! JHM
“Multitudes, multitudes in the Valley of
Decision:
For the day of the Lord is near in the
Valley of Decision.”
Joel 3:14
“They that turn many to righteousness
shall shine as the stars forever.”
Daniel 12:3
“…he that winneth souls is wise.”
Proverbs 11:30
Tent Evangelism…It’s All About Souls…Millions &
Millions of Souls!
WorldHarvestTentEvangelism@JohnHamelMinistries.Org
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