Have you ever misplaced something you not only wanted to find. . .but you had to find?

Perhaps it was your car or house keys, an important document for work or some back-up files for your taxes.

After some time passed and more mental anguish than you care to admit, you finally found the misplaced items.

Recently, a precious, close friend of ours, Pastor Malc Burton sent me the following text.

“Good morning, Pastor.  Read Psalm 62:5 when you get a moment.  God stirred me this morning about misplaced expectation and misplaced trust.  Love you.”

Pastor Malc is full of revelatory insight.  He has ghost written over 100 books for many well-known Christian leaders. . .names you would immediately recognize.

As I read Pastor Malc’s text I was stirred as well.  Even before reading his scripture. . .I felt impressed to write seven things never to misplace.

1.      Misplaced expectation.

Psalm 62:5 in the Amplified Bible says:

“My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him.”

I was sitting in a hotel room praying about what I should teach the next morning during my three-hour seminar.

For me, the question isn’t so much what to teach as what not to teach.  I’ve written the equivalent of over eight hundred half-hour television shows at the unction of the Holy Spirit in the past three years.

On that particular Friday evening I was seeking the will of the Lord and what He wanted me to teach based on who was going to be in that room.

Suddenly, five thought-provoking words dropped into my spirit.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

I instantly knew that was the question God wanted me to pose to those in attendance.

Several musical artists have written and performed songs entitled “What Are You Waiting For.”  However, there is one song written by Natalie Grant that says the right things and asks the right questions.

So you wanna change the world

What are you waiting for

You say you're gonna start right now

10. What you do for God’s House. . .He will do for your house.

  9. Praying for this to be your greatest week ever…filled with infinite possibilities, unknown opportunities and divine connections.

  8.  If we focus on our hurts of the past we're stealing from our future.

  7.  Don’t let a negative doctor’s report seize you with panic. He reports the facts but facts change. Jesus the Healer never does.

  6.  You have more influence than you know…and certainly more than the enemy wants you to know. Acts 22:15

Here are the Top 5 Rich Thoughts Nuggets of the week.

  5.  True wealth is not measured by what people have but by what they give. John 6:41-44

  4.  If you have a pulse. . .you have a purpose. . .find it. . .live it.

  3.  The primary difference between a winner and a loser is the decision to be a winner.

  2.  Never be led by your feelings or what others think…always follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

 # 1 Rich Thoughts Nugget you selected is:

  1.  God is more interested in where you’re going…than where you’ve been. Phil 3:13

The first time I ever heard the term “point of contact” was while watching one of Oral Roberts old healing crusades when it played on our small black and white TV.

I remember Dr. Roberts stretching out his hands toward the TV camera and asking the viewers at home to extend their faith by touching his hand on the television screen as a point of contact.

Over the years, I’ve heard some men and women of God talk about a point of contact when it comes to the prayer of agreement.

I believe a point of contact is anything God instructs us to do to help release our faith.

We can say it another way. . .a point of contact provides a way for us to act on what the Word says and when we do. . .we release our faith to God.

Our point of contact could be the prayer of faith…the laying on of hands…an act of faith that causes you to move outside your comfort zone, Holy Communion…a prayer cloth or anything that requires a step of faith toward the previously unknown.

A point of contact is a method we use to reach God and obey His divine instructions. 

A failure to act. . .is an action that is sure to fail.

We make a decision to fail. . .when we allow fear to prevent us from stepping out of our comfort zone or from taking a step of faith.

Faith destroys fear. . .crushes doubt. . .conquers the unknown. . .inspires others. . .and makes us victorious in all our hands find to do.

If we want to do more than we’ve done. . .be more than we’ve been. . .then we need to take a risk when it lines up with His Word.

God’s Word tells us what to do. . .if we take a risk and fail to succeed.

Proverbs 24:16 in the New Living Translation says:

“The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.  But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.”

I’ve found that scripturally directed action. . .even though it appears risky in the natural. . .produces successful results.  Sometimes those results are immediate, other times they’re progressive . . .as a result of the actions taken.

Here are seven reasons to do it and not just talk about it.

First, taking action is your duty.

January is in the rearview mirror for 2023.

If you feel like you’ve been caught in your comfort zone. . .if it feels like your spinning your wheels but moving no closer to your goals. . .then this teaching will give you practical insight on how to move from where you are. . .toward your destiny.

Here are seven practical ways to energize the move toward your destiny.

#1 Use The Ability You've Got.

President Theodore Roosevelt said:

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

You should always start where you are. . .with what you’ve got. . .at the moment.

First, you must know that you have the God-given ability to perform at a level you never previously thought possible.

Romans 12:6 in The Living Bible says:

“God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well….”

This empowerment is a gift from the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 1:14 in The Living Bible says:

Have you ever thought about how you’d like to be recognized?

Genesis 37:19 says:

“And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh.”

The dreamer cometh.  I think I like that.

The context of this scripture may have been made in a negative way…but Joseph’s dreams are what sustained him through every trial and brought victory and preservation to his brothers when they needed it the most.

Years ago, my fine wife Bev and I had the pleasure of meeting George Foreman.  As a former heavyweight champion and entrepreneur . . .he is a delightful man.

Foreman once said:

“If you don’t dream you might as well be dead.”

If you don’t have a dream. . .I don’t think you should be dead. . .I just think you need to be taught how to become a dreamer.

I enjoying watching Shark Tank….where four or five billionaires compete to help aspiring entrepreneurs with their dreams.  The interplay among the billionaires is fascinating but I’m most taken by those who have a dream of pursuing their vision.

Let me ask. . .do you have a dream?  Have you written it down. . .are you willing to take a risk of stepping outside your comfort zone?  Can you see yourself pitching your dream to billionaires?

Have you thought about how to turn your dreams into reality?

If a quarterback's timing is off. . .whether it's the Super Bowl or a regular season game. . .he’s going to have a bad day with more interceptions than touchdowns.

If a basketball player whether high school, college or professional has his timing off. . .he/she won't be able to make a free throw. . .no matter how big the rim is. 

In life, if your timing is off. . .you can miss possibilities and opportunities for success.

Something can be a good idea. . .it can be a great idea. . .it can even be a God idea but for it to be successful it must be in God's timing. 

Here are seven facts you ought to know about His timing.

1.    The Holy Spirit gives you the timing.

Have you ever wondered if it was the right time to make a career change. . .to ask someone to marry you. . .to present your ideas to your supervisors?

Knowing when to speak is equally important to what you’re going to say.

Acts 1:7-8 in the Message Bible says:

For sports fans this is an exciting time of the year.  The Kansas City Chiefs just became the Super Bowl champions.

The All-Star Game for the National Basketball League is about to take place.  And soon, the college basketball teams will be seeking a place in the NCAA basketball championships.

Major League baseball is gearing up for the start of spring training with each team dreaming of becoming the World Series champions.

It is not easy to become a champion. . .it takes determination, practice, discipline and commitment to never give up, give in, back up, back down, sit down, quit or walk away until victory is achieved.

God has given each of us the heart of a champion far beyond the field of athletic endeavor.  Much like an earthly father who wants his children to be champions in whatever they undertake. . .our Heavenly Father desires for you and I. . .His children to win in the game of life.

We always refer to Jesus as a conqueror. . .one who conquered death, hell and the grave. . .yet we never call him a champion.

Throughout history, conquerors are those who went to war where there was the spilling of blood.

That’s why Jesus was and is a conqueror. . .He spilled blood. . .overcame demonic opposition to become a champion for our salvation.

In order for us to be conquerors. . .we must first champions in the areas of our lives where we’ve been given a vision, a goal, a dream and/or a calling.

We must prevail. . .as champions over the areas where we’ve been given stewardship.

There are seven characteristics of a champion.

Have you ever had something come through at just the right time to meet a specific need?

I know we have. . .

I remember once when our bookkeeper made a mistake which resulted in our owing $14,000 in taxes. . .which we discovered a week before it had to be paid.  And frankly, we didn’t have that amount of cash readily available.

We had nowhere else to go except God. . .and moved on believing God would somehow provide. 

We also reminded the Lord that we tithed and gave offerings regularly to keep the windows of heaven open and keep harvests coming in.

I was speaking that next Sunday at a church in southern California. . .it was an incredible service.

Can you imagine my surprise when the Pastor handed me a check for $16,000?  And for preaching a one-hour Sunday morning service?

I discovered later that a man in the church had given $10,000 in the offering in appreciation for advice I had given him a year or so before.  He later told me the advice made him hundreds of thousands of dollars.