“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
—Franklin Delano Roosesvelt
Fear and fear alone” is an injury sufficient to cause death, according to a federal court jury in Seattle. Ralph Thompson, third mate on the steamship Chena, died of shock the day after his vessel was driven into the center of Valdez, Alaska, by a tidal wave.
An insurance company refused to pay accidental death benefits because Thompson had suffered no apparent injuries. However, the court concluded that Thompson had died of fright and it held the company liable.
Has fear kept you from fulfilling your Mission 3:16? Are you “scared to death” to tell someone about Jesus? If you are full of fear, it has not come from God!
The enemy of your soul wants to keep you in bondage to fear, thus keeping you out of his territory. He knows that fear can be fatal to your mission, so that’s why he spends most of his time trying to intimidate and worry you.
The good news is, God knows this! And He has charged His Word with powerful promises to overcome all fear and anxiety. The fear of man is a snare (see Prov. 29:25) and you do not need to fear anything that man might do to you (see Heb. 13:6). These promises are God’s Word to YOU.
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.
(Rom. 8:15 NIV)
You may be challenged by the awesome mission before you, but NEVER FEAR. God is near and He will keep you on track as you focus your faith on Him, take courage, and appropriate His strength for your task.
Try this exercise this week. Each day find five “fear not”s in your Bible. I found eighty of them just today. Write them down and drive all fear out of your life by reminding yourself of the power, love, and sound mind God has promised!
Excerpt permission granted by Albury Publishing
Carman Domenic Licciardello is an enigma in Christian music, often described as part evangelist, part Vegas Showman. His concerts were more like a rock and roll Billy Graham Crusade than a Christian music event. After all the singing, dancing, clapping, and preaching, crowds of people would stream down to the counseling area to accept Christ-many times as many as 5,000 in an evening.
Admission was usually free; a simple offering was taken, similar to 30,000 churches on Sunday mornings. And he filled the largest stadiums the world over. Carman held the record for the largest Christian concert ever in Dallas, Texas. But it even goes beyond that. Take the Mega Stadium acts that played the famed landmark such as Pink Floyd, U 2, Madonna, The Jackson Five, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, and even Metallic. As the newspapers noted, you'll see that the one-act that drew the highest attendance in Texas Stadium was Carman, with 71,132.
Carman (1956-2021) was a popular contemporary Christian singer and songwriter.
Born Carman Licciardello, he began recording under his first name and released his debut album in 1980. Carman began charting contemporary Christian hits in 1984 with "Sunday's on the Way," reaching No. 1 with "The Champion" (1986) and "Radically Saved" (1988). His other hit songs include "Lord of All," "Jesus Is the Light," and "Satan, Bite the Dust!" Carman reportedly holds the world record for the largest audience at a Christian concert. His popularity was at its height in the 1980s and early '90s, but he continued releasing albums for years, including his most recent release, 2014's "No Plan B." In 2018, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.