We have to believe in free will. We’ve got no choice.
– Isaac Bashevis Singer
I love that quote! It declares the truth in an ironic fashion: We have to choose. Everything we do involves a choice. We might say that we hold at least 51 percent of the stock in our lives.
We always cast the deciding vote on where to go and what to do and what to say—and God holds no one but us responsible for those choices.
Needless to say, the will is a powerful instrument.
It’s interesting to me that God would give us such a wonderful gift of choice and then ask us to give it back to Him, surrendering our human will to His divine will. But He is God. He knows best. And He wants His children to have the best at all times and in all situations. So He says, “Choose My way. Choose life!”
Jesus is our supreme example of surrendering our will. Every time He was faced with temptation, He chose to obey His heavenly Father. Ultimately, He chose to sacrifice His life to provide eternal life for you and me.
I remember when I knew it was time to surrender a part of my ministry to God in a big way. I felt the Lord leading me not to charge for our concerts, but to take love offerings instead.
I was used to knowing what the expenses were and what my budgeted income would be. This was a giant leap of faith for me. But God kept leading me to open the doors free of charge so that families could come and bring their unsaved friends, neighbors, and loved ones. He said, “Freely you have received; now freely give.”
When I obeyed, when I surrendered my way to Him, I found out God’s will always produces better results than mine! My ministry began to grow dramatically and I discovered that although surrender is not easy, we walk in greater freedom and a deeper love for our Father God when we do things His way.
What do you need to surrender today?
“If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land” (Isa. 1:19 NIV).
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.