KFLCC Kingdom Economics

F INANCIAL S ECURITY IN THE L AST D AYS

the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that you shall cut it down. The above narrative, called a parable, is a story that illustrates a moral, financial, or religious lesson; thus it is a lesson within a story. Christ often spoke in parables. While opinions vary on the division of the stories within the parables, Christ spoke about fifty parables in the New Testament. Each parable was based upon facts, people, subjects, or incidents that the people of His day were familiar with and could relate to in a practical manner. He spoke of a fig tree (Luke 13:6-9), a net (Matt. 13:47-48), a marriage (Matt. 9:15), the harvest (Matt. 9:37) a Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37), a shepherd (John 10:1-6); a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son (Luke 15:4-32); slaves (Matt. 24:45-51); and virgins (Matt. 25; 1-12), to name a few. The same practical lessons that Christ was teaching the people of His day are the same lessons we must learn and follow in the 21st century. Certain parables reveal details concerning Christ’s return (Matthew 25). They reveal specific second coming insights that we must understand as we draw closer to the return of the Messiah. Other parables reveal practical applications for daily living or financial secrets concealed within the story. Such is the case when we look at the process of planting, growing, and harvesting from a vineyard. T HE V INEYARD A PPLICATION Concealed in the methods used to plant, grow, and harvest grapes from a vineyard are hidden the principles of planting, preparing, and prospering in the area of finances and business. Let’s look at five principles for growing and caring for a vineyard. The first and basic law of growth is to plant. There is no harvest until the seeds are first planted in the soil. For a successful vineyard a good site must be selected, including an open field with no shade trees that would block sunlight. There must be plenty of open space where air can reach the vines. Ridge tops are excellent as this provides needed drainage. The vines are to be planted in straight rows and evenly spaced at the proper depths. For protection , stone walls were placed around the vines to prevent small animals from entering the vineyard and eating the young buds, thus destroying the future harvest. In Hebron, large nets are used to cover the entire vineyard,

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