When I left the house of bondage, I left everything behind. I wanted to keep nothing of Egypt on me, and so I went to the Lord and asked Him to give me a new name….
I set up my banner, and then I sing, and then folks always comes up ’round me, and then… I tells them about Jesus.
– Sojourner Truth (a freed slave)
When I think of fearless fanatics, two examples in Scripture jump out at me: one a man, the other a woman. Since my mother always said, “Ladies first,” I will tell you about Queen Esther.
When the evil Haman petitioned the king to issue an edict that allowed for the killing of all the Jews in the kingdom, Queen Esther, being a Jew, was in the position to save her people. God had placed her in the kingdom for “such a time as this” (Est. 4:14).
After fasting and praying, she boldly proclaimed, “If I perish, I perish,” and asked to see the king. Humbling herself before him, she requested protection for her people. The king issued a counterorder that allowed the Jews to arm and protect themselves against the previously ordered attack. Because of Esther’s fearless faith, her people were saved.
John the Baptist was also a fearless fanatic. He was a child born of a promise to aging parents. (See Luke 1.) He was a Nazarene and never cut his hair or touched strong drink (Luke 1:15). He knew the fine art of practicing self-denial. He loved solitude and communicating with God in the desert. He dressed simply, wearing cloth woven from camel’s hair, and had a strange diet (Matt. 3:4).
John was a simple man in every way in the natural, but he was a radical for God. He was the one God chose to declare that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah, and he was executed for his stand for righteousness. Jesus grieved when he heard of John’s death, and said that John was the greatest of all the prophets of Israel.
Do something today to be a fearless fanatic for Jesus, and you will be in good company!
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.
