In long experience, I find that a man who trusts nobody is apt to be a man nobody trusts.
—Harold Macmillan
Today it is nearly impossible to trust anyone. We have been misled and lied to by so many who once had our trust, both privately and publicly. Many occupations that once commanded trust have now become suspect: teachers have failed us, law officers have shown themselves to be all too human, and elected officials have taken unfair advantage of their power and position.
And no one trusts us either! The companies we work for hire us and then install cameras to monitor our actions. Parents wire their homes to spy on their children’s caregivers. One major department store chain requires its female workers to carry clear plastic handbags so stolen merchandise cannot walk out the door with them.
The worst part is, half the time I don’t trust myself! Like Paul in Romans 7:15, I say and do things I don’t want to say and do, and the things I do want to say and do, I don’t say and do. So what do we do? (It really does make sense, trust me….)
We can trust God first, then He will show us who to trust and when. It is impossible for God to lie (See Heb. 6:18). He has only good plans for us (See Jeremiah 29:11). And He does not change – say one thing and do another (See Malachi 3:6).
When I was recording my album of hymns, I was struck by the fact that certain ones confirmed how much I trusted Jesus for everything in life: “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” and “‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.”
If you meditate on the words, listen to them, and begin to praise and worship God with them, before you know it, you will be trusting God more and more.
And let’s face it, if you don’t trust God, you’ll never fulfill the mission He’s given you, because you cannot do it without Him!
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.