KFLCC Kingdom Economics

Ways That the Lord Gives Provision

discovery the entire area was barren, desolate and rocky. There was no reason to travel there except to see the Dead Sea. Today there is a major tourist attraction called the Qumran Village with a restaurant and shops, and the area is prosperous. What was in the ash brought in the cash! One of the most astonishing stories involves one of my friends in Israel. They are Christian Arabs and have been living in the Holy Land for many years. In their earlier days, the family sold water, soda, candy and postcards to tourists. One day the head of the family began asking the Lord to help and bless them as they were living in the land of the Bible and in a city that is special to Christ. The family was growing, and they decided to expand their home. He felt impressed to draw a line on the ground and dig the footers. As they dug deep, they found a wooden box filled with Turkish gold coins! The coins were valued at over five million dollars. This find enabled them to build an olive wood factory and several shops in the area, which support both their family as well as many Christian Arabs in the area. 5. G OD B LESSES BY U NEXPECTED B LESSINGS Some time back I was reading the narrative in Acts 3 of Peter and John entering the Temple and being stopped by a lame man who asked for money. Peter instructed the man to “look on us,” and the fellow looked up, perhaps expecting to receive money. Instead, he received healing for his body. I have often said the man was “begging for alms and got a new set of legs instead!” I was struck by the word “expecting,” and realized that expectancy is the key to receiving an unexpected blessing—unexpected referring to a source that you are not looking to for assistance. I sensed a stirring in my spirit and the Holy Spirit began to speak to me and say, “Many of the Lord’s children go to His house to worship and go through the routine week after week and never expect a spiritual blessing or breakthrough. They attend by habit without ever expecting a visitation from heaven. They have maintained a routine of giving, but have lost the faith to believe that the Lord will bless them, and often from an unexpected source." In North America particularly, believers become so accustomed to a routine that we lose the childlike expectancy and excitement we once had. We attend church, go through the routine of worship, drop the tithe or offering into the bucket, and hope the minister stops preaching by noon to ensure we get to the local restaurant before the crowd. Thus, we experience the routine without

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