| (Copyright 01-26-2025) by Dwight Fleming (Oroville, California) |
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| When you were a small child, do you remember taking your first step? Probably not and for good reason since you may have fallen down after only a few wobbly steps. You then either laughed or cried. But then mommy or daddy reassured you with their loving embrace. Within a few minutes, you forgot about your failure and were ready to try again with mom and dad cheering you on. Does our Heavenly Father cheer us on when we step out in faith to fulfill His calling and direction? “Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). No matter how grand our dreams are, nothing will ever be accomplished, if we don’t take that first small step. The first step on the moon was celebrated with this statement by astronaut Neil Armstrong, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Wait until the Resurrection if you want to see a giant leap for mankind. In the meantime, are you wanting to start something new in your life that will “make your calling and election sure, knowing that if you do these things, you will never fall”? (2 Peter 1:10). Jonathan Cahn highlights the law of new beginnings in regard to the firstborn. Since I had just sent out an essay on the inheritance of the firstborn, I was amazed and excited over the timing of Cahn’s message. His video, linked below, is a condensed version of a longer message, “The Law of New Beginnings.” “Behold, the former things have happened, and now I declare new things. Before they spring forth, I proclaim them to you” (Isaiah 42:9). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). So what new thing is the Holy Spirit urging you to begin? And what may be holding you back? Remember when the children of Israel had to cross the Jordan River to enter the Promised Land to start their new beginning? The Jordan was at flood stage at that time of year. God had to perform another miracle, like at the Red Sea forty years prior, for them to cross. But it wasn’t going to happen until they took that first step which would then release the power of God. This required faith on their part. See Joshua chapter three. Jonathan Cahn touches upon the importance of taking that first small step toward your new beginning in his video. I want to add some personal experiences in dealing with fear which often hinders us and robs us of fulfilling our full potential in Christ [or as some would say, “in the Lord”]. When I was in 3rd or 4th grade (not certain which grade), there was a competition on one particular weekend where boys from several different schools would meet for a Punt, Pass, Kick competition. I and my friends were excited about it and eagerly looked forward to the big day. We all had aspirations of doing well and talked of winning an award or prize for our best performance at the competition. Well, the Big Day finally came. I had high hopes as my dad drove me to a nearby school where the competition was being held. I wasn’t familiar with this school that was across town from my school. When we arrived, I looked around for some of my friends but was unable to find any familiar faces. I found myself in a new situation which left me lost as to where to go or what to do. Fear took over. I told my dad that I wanted to go home. He was more than happy to oblige me since he too felt nervous [I didn’t realize this at the time until many years later]. My dad didn’t have much formal education growing up during the depression years. He was the oldest boy and had to spend long hours in the field picking cotton to help feed his younger brothers and sisters. My dad knew how to work and support his family. But dealing with an unfamiliar situation was not something that was easy for him. I now realize that I needed my dad to help me deal with my fear by saying, “Okay, son, let’s go over here and talk to these men to see where we need to go.” Instead, we went back home. My mom was surprised to see us back home so soon. I learned to run from my fear that day. Remember the TV show from years ago, “Run, Buddy, Run”? Well, for me, it was, “Run, Bubby, Run!” [my family nickname]. I spent all of seventh grade running from fear and somewhat in high school. But in my junior year, God began to open my mind. Not only to the Bible, but also to dealing with negative emotions warring inside of me. God does provide people and experiences which help us to overcome or conquer those things which hold us back. Knowing how it feels to be paralyzed by fear allows me to be sensitive to others who are combatting any fear or lack of confidence. For helping someone to build confidence, I learned this principle from the first Rocky movie that I saw back in 1977 in Salem, Oregon. I had run away from an unpleasant situation in Oroville to spend the summer with some church friends. One Sabbath after church, I sat by a creek behind their house which helped me to sort out my thoughts. I realized that I had to return to Oroville to face any fear that was hindering my spiritual growth. There was something in Rocky that stuck with me. It was a principle for building confidence. This was the most critical point in the movie for me. Recall that Rocky [the character created and played by Sylvester Stallone] got the opportunity to fight the World Heavy Weight Champion, Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers. As you know, Rocky trained hard and felt he had a chance at the title. On the night before the bout, Rocky went to the arena to picture what was ahead of him the next day. Reality set in. Rocky went back to his apartment and woke Adrian up by saying, “I can’t do it. I can’t beat Apollo. I’m not even in the same league with him.” Adrian responded, “But you’ve worked so hard. What are you going to do?” Rocky then responded with a key principle that we all need to realize and based upon a Biblical principle as well. Rocky realized that the possibility of beating the Champion was very slim. But then the thought came to Rocky of something that he knew he could accomplish. Rocky then said, “No one has ever gone the distance with Apollo. He may open my head up. But at the end of the 15th round when that bell rings and I’m still standing there, then I will know for the first time in my life that I wasn’t just another bum from the neighborhood.” Rocky wasn’t just a movie about two guys beating their brains out. There was something spiritual going on which we need to understand and apply. I call this principle for teaching confidence to others, “The Rocky Principle.” Here is an example of using this principle in training others: Back in 1993, I took over a climbing crew for a company that did line clearance for the power company. Our job was to remove limbs away from the power lines for safety and to prevent power outages. My two helpers, Dan and Kurt, were good workers and were also good buddies. The previous foreman had done some foolish things that caused Dan to get shocked one day. This, naturally, created a strong fear in Dan that was hindering him from advancing in his climbing skills. Kurt was our groundman but Dan liked to help Kurt learn some climbing skills which allowed me to focus on the more difficult trees. One day we were working in a walnut orchard with a three-phase [meaning three wires] power line running to an irrigation pump. This line had not been trimmed out for awhile. This one walnut tree had limbs which had grown up between all three phases [wires]. When Dan saw it, his fear of being shocked previously began haunting him. I could see the fear in Dan’s eyes and hear it in his voice. I could have done the tree myself, but I knew that this was a good opportunity to help Dan deal with his fear. This tree was large enough that both Dan and I could be in the tree at the same time. I started explaining to Dan some principles of electricity. Electricity takes the path of least resistance. We were able to position ourselves above the direct path to ground to minimize any possibility of getting shocked by the limbs that were contacting the energized lines. We had a fiberglass [for insulation protection] pole pruner so that we could reach up to take small snips off the limbs between the wires. I showed Dan how to snip small pieces of limbs off the main leaders which would fall between the wires and not cause an arcing of the wires. Little by little, Dan whittled away at the main leaders till they were a skinny bean pole with no foliage. Now, it was time to take the handsaw to one of the skinny leaders while holding the top with the pole pruner. I showed him on the first one. Cut part way through but not all the way. That way if the leader should make contact with the power line, then electricity will travel down the leader and down the trunk of the tree to the ground. When you cut enough on the leader, you can then use the pole pruner to push the leader over and in parallel with the lines so no contact is made. Once the leader is folded over below the line, you can finish cutting it off and let it drop to the ground. Working with Dan that day and explaining to him how to use certain techniques to prevent any electrical shocks or mishaps helped him to overcome his fear of working around power lines. But the best was yet to come for Dan. A few weeks later we were working up in the foothills. Another climber joined my crew that day with more experience than Dan. We were walking out a power line in a wooded area when we saw on ahead a tree with a good-sized limb that had grown out over the power line. We call this an overhang. If it should ever break it would take down the power line and perhaps cause a fire. So, it needed to be removed without it falling on the line and causing an outage. I asked Dan if he thought he was ready to “pull an overhang.” Before Dan could say anything, the other climber remarked, “Piece of cake!” I could feel Dan’s uncertainty in his voice. I knew that Dan could do it, but Dan did not yet have the confidence. This all has to do with the power of belief. So, it is very much a spiritual matter. I wanted to relieve Dan of any pressure that he was feeling. So, I said, “Dan, if you think that you aren’t ready to pull an overhang, then I will let Tony, the other climber, do it. That way you can learn by watching.” Dan was relieved and all pressure was off of him. But I had the “Rocky Principle” up my sleeve to use on Dan. So, I then said, “Okay, Dan, Tony will do the overhang, but how about just climbing up the tree and tie into a good crotch for Tony. Then come down and Tony will take over.” Dan replied, “I can do that.” So, Dan climbed up this tall oak tree. He had to get a high crotch for his safety line so that you are able to walk out on the overhang while your safety line is holding you so you are free to work with both hands. You are literally, “out on a limb.” After Dan got tied into his tree crotch, he was ready to come down to let Tony take over. But I still had the “Rocky Principle” up my sleeve. I then said this to Dan: “Okay, Dan, since you are already in position, how about if we send up the pole pruner to you and you just take small snips [like I showed him before] off the overhang to get most of the foliage off to lighten it up for Tony.” Dan replied, “I can do that.” So, Dan whittled away on that mean looking overhang until it didn’t look so intimidating to him. I then said to Dan, “Okay, you can come down and let Tony do the rest, but since you’re already there, how about taking your pole pruner and reaching out to get a good hold of the overhang. Then take your handsaw and undercut the overhang close to you. When you have cut enough to pull the overhang to a parallel position with the pole pruner, then let it fold over away from the line.” [This is what is called “pulling an overhang.”] Dan replied, “I can do that.” And Dan did do that, and he did it very well. When Dan came down from the tree, not only did he have a big smile, but he also had a new confidence that he never had before. That power of belief would later propel Dan to a higher reward. A month or so after that, Dan moved up to Washington state to work in his father’s business. About two months went by when I received a phone call from Dan. He was wondering how his buddy, Kurt, was doing. I asked Dan how things were going with his dad’s business. It did not work out between Dan and his dad as planned. Dan then went down to Oregon to work for another utility contractor. Dan was already a foreman and making good money. He told me that in order to get promoted to foreman so fast, he had to know how to “pull overhangs.” I was so tickled to hear that. Dan thanked me for helping him to “learn the ropes.” Nothing is more rewarding than helping someone to grow spiritually by overcoming life’s challenges. But it won’t happen if we aren’t willing to take that first small step. This is what Jonathan Cahn emphasizes in his video. To be clear, the “Rocky Principle” that I learned from the movie is this: Set a goal that you are confident that you can accomplish if you give it your all (Ecclesiastes 9:10). “Certainly, we work hard and struggle to live a godly life, because we place our confidence in the living God. He is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe” (I Timothy 4:10). Video links: Law of New Beginnings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5Az6IYOQms Rocky—Going the Distance: https://youtu.be/VmHdufAQgwU?si=Z6X_VqyqEc9D7xFn ———————————————————————————————————- See Dwight Fleming’s other articles at: Fleming, Dwight – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) ———————————————————————————————————- |
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