We are going to look at money and the church. Not the Biblical principles of saving, borrowing, lending, usury, etc., the times we live in require a more urgent and specific message. Given the popularity of some preachers who promote a gospel that says if you give money to a church or preacher, God will make you rich and prosperous, we will focus on what the scriptures say about giving and faith. Churchgoers know all about passing the plate during church services, accompanied by a mini message about giving, but where is that in the Bible? Some churches use psychology and secular marketing to raise funds to grow the church as a business venture rather than focusing on saving lost souls from a Christ-less eternity and equipping the believers to do the work of the ministry. So, to start the study, we'll look at the roots of giving in the Old Testament with tithes and offerings, then contrast the difference between giving under Jewish law and giving in the dispensation of grace.

Moving to the New Testament, we will look at the favorite verse of most modern preachers on tithing, and ironically it is from the Old Testament. What's baffling about them using that verse is that it pronounces curses on the people for not paying tithes. It's astonishing how many Pastors are willing to put a curse on their congregations in attempts to guilt them into giving money or more money. You may be thinking, if Jesus did not have a church building and did not pass the plate or receive tithes, how did he support himself and his ministry? The answer is that Jesus and his disciples lived by faith. Jesus taught us by his example how to live by faith and not worry about what we will eat, what we will wear, and where we will sleep. Jesus received money, meals, and places to stay by faith. Jesus did not restrict his ministry to the four walls of the temple building or a single synagogue. Jesus moved about continuously, and as he walked or crisscrossed the Sea of Galilee by boat, he taught, healed, and changed lives spontaneously without a building or designated meeting places or meeting times. Jesus had no mortgage, utility bills, salaries to pay, musicians, no debts, and institutional backing, but he lived and ministered by faith. Jesus died naked on the cross with no earthly possessions. Jesus loved souls, not money. We also do not need a building, musicians, or institutional backing to touch souls. For religious people, the first step to starting a church is getting a building, step two is getting a larger building, and step three is getting a mega building. They think the building is the key to success, so they incur huge expenses and debts, and in many cases, the only reason the church exists is to pay the bills of the building. Or even worse, many churches have become pyramid schemes, and all the money is deposited directly into the prosperity preacher's bank account. But what does God say about all this? There must be discernment between supporting God's work and being fleeced. Deception abounds in the end times and will only get worse. We need to have wisdom about who we support and why. We also need to live by faith and not put our trust in uncertain riches while we lay up our treasures in heaven.

We are in the end times; our world is changing quickly to line up with Bible prophecy. Jesus said the signs of his return would be like birth pangs, growing in intensity and frequency and globally. Also, there will be a great falling away from Christ, with churches becoming perverted, politically woke, and government-controlled. While we have time and freedom, we should study the scriptures, share the gospel, and learn to live by faith. This book is part of a series of basic teachings that all Christians should know and teach. We call it the "toolbox series" because each study is a tool for you to share your faith with others. For free resources and study materials, visit our website at Ears2Hear.online.