Two young men came to my home three or four years ago and said they had been called into a specific ministry. They were waiting for God to open doors for them to get started. They have done some things but I believe there are things they can do to open those doors. This is a letter to them with a copy to all of you.

Mark 11:23 – “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.” Believing that we have faith is one thing but acting on faith is another.

As I was outlining the Gospel of Mark for my men’s Bible group I read in the second chapter where four friends brought a paralytic to Jesus to be healed. The room was so packed that they couldn’t get in so they went on the roof, made an opening in the roof and lowered the man down in front of Jesus. Jesus said: Mark 2:5 – “When Jesus saw their faith; he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’” He saw their faith which I believe is a very important part of this story.

Do you have enough faith to take action? It seems like we need more than faith, we need to be bold in getting started. Matthew 7:7 – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” It seems like Christ is saying we must ask, we must seek and we must knock in order for the door to open. What about those dreams or visions that are in your mind hoping that God will open the door and you will walk right on through? What happens if God requires that we must put action to our faith before He opens those doors? As I have been studying, praying and meditating I have been wanting to know how to tell others the importance of having the faith to do what you feel God is leading you to do. I know of no other way than to tell you my own experiences.

It began in high school. Someday I wanted to own my own business. However, the doors never seemed to open. For many years I always worked for someone else. Once my children’s college bills were paid and I had enough savings to last about one year I believed God would help me start my own business. After about eighteen months all of our savings were gone and we were just barely making a living. But with God’s help the business grew and I began hiring my family to assist me. I always believed I could do it but never took the action to make it happen.

In 1988 and 1989 we decide to add on to the church property on Mojave Road. We decided to add 42,000 sq. ft. but had no money to do so. I was chairman of the board both years and kind of oversaw the construction. When the building was completed the money was there to pay for it. I don’t know how long it would have taken if we had waited for the money to start construction.

In 1991 I was asked to head up the relocation to a new campus. It was decided that we needed to buy 80 acres. As usual we did not have the money to buy hardly an acre. After months of prayer and searching we found our present location and had the money plus a loan to buy it. More time went by and we figured if God was really good we might be able to build a 100,000 sq. ft. building costing $15 million. Of course we didn’t have the money but we believed we could borrow it. As the attendance kept growing we decided that to meet the needs it would require a 150,000 sq. ft. building costing approximately $23 million. It seemed like God kept saying that all you have to do is to “knock” and I will open the door. I often wonder where we would be today if we hadn’t kept knocking on God’s door. I hope you are getting the point. How many dreams or visions have we missed because we just believed we could walk up to the door and God would automatically open it and say, it’s there for you?

There are a number of people who are waiting for God to get them a job, to find them a spouse or to take care of their financial needs. When Jesus saw their faith He healed the paralytic man. Would he have been healed if he sat at home praying that Jesus would heal him? We know faith is important but I believe God expects us to show our faith by taking some action.

To the two young men waiting for doors to open may I suggest you really start knocking and knocking loudly. Once God sees you putting action into your faith He may just start opening all kinds of doors.