We are going to look at money and the church. Not the Biblical financial principles on borrowing, lending, usury, etc. There is a lot of great information in the Bible about that, but the times we live in require a more urgent message. With the popularity of some teachings about money among Christians, we will focus on money in the church or ministry. Churchgoers know about passing the plate during church services, accompanied by a separate mini message about giving. However, the way they take the offering can create pressure or condemnation on the congregation rather than Biblical instruction. So, to start the study, we'll look at the roots of tithes and offerings in the Old Testament and then contrast that with the difference between giving under Jewish law and giving in the dispensation of grace.

Saints who have been around for years may remember times when the church was different, there was a greater commitment to Christ, evangelism, and a stronger sense of the presence of God. Today's churches seem shallow and self-centered with the popular easy belief-ism messages of today. There are megachurches full of people with exciting bands, fog lights, tight jeans, and big screens, preaching a gospel of greed and being a better worldly you, you, you. They are ticking itchy ears, lulling the church to sleep, but the sugar-coated, cotton candy, me, me, me, messages that avoid death on the cross of Christ are worthless when the hyper-sonic missiles start hitting the fan. In the hard times, people want the unadulterated hard truth, regardless of its challenges and demands.

Christians in the Western "free" countries have been prosperous, spoiled, and isolated from persecution until now. When the pandemic hit, the governments of the free world showed their teeth and growled at us. They locked down churches and synagogues and issued fines, legal challenges, social media de-platforming, and put Pastors in prison. When the lock downs were over, many churches reopened "woke," conforming to the new world order but dead to God. Prophecy warned us of a great falling away from God and of universal persecution of all Christians in the end times.

We are in the calm before the storm, but times are changing, and overnight our world could be completely different. Bible prophecy tells us that the worst time in human history is rapidly approaching, people will be saying peace and safety, and then sudden destruction will hit. Israel becoming a nation, world wars, global lock downs, and global food shortages are warnings that the four horsemen of the apocalypse are on their way and getting closer.

Now is the time to equip ourselves with the word of God to share with others before another lock down or being de-platformed or some other concocted restriction closes the door to our freedom. Like Joseph in Egypt stored grain during the seven years of plenty so that when the seven years of famine (7-year tribulation) came, Egypt had food. Christians will not go through the great tribulation but can experience severe persecution before the rapture happens. The institutional church buildings could be locked down or become so perverted and politically woke that all true believers must flee from them.

These are the years of plenty, and while we have time and freedom, we need to study the word of God and share it with others, build fellowship groups of sincere believers and "be the church." This book is part of a set of studies that are foundational that are essential teachings for followers of Christ. We call it the "toolbox series" because it is designed to make you a tool in the hand of God and provides you the knowledge you need for a scriptural foundation for your faith, while equipping you to share with others. These studies can be a start-up kit for a small group Bible study and are downloadable with other resources, and it's free. Freely you have received, freely give, go to our website at: Ears2Hear.online