THE TOBIAH SPIRIT! It s Us Four And No More! We ve Never Done It That Way Before! If It s God s Will, Where Is The Money?

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1 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was a man coming to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. (Nehemiah 2:10 KJV) THE TOBIAH SPIRIT! You Can t Do That! It s Us Four And No More! We ve Never Done It That Way Before! If It s God s Will, Where Is The Money? It Was Good Enough For Grandpa And It s Good Enough For Me! EXCUSES! When the Lord lays something on your heart, HERE COME THE TOBIAH S OF THE CHURCH! They are so against change and feel justified in doing anything to stop the work of God! This study in Nehemiah IS A MUST before starting anything for God! BILL DUVALL

2 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was a man coming to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. (Nehemiah 2:10 KJV) THE TOBIAH SPIRIT! You Can t Do That! It s Us Four And No More! We ve Never Done It That Way Before! If It s God s Will, Where Is The Money? It Was Good Enough For Grandpa And It s Good Enough For Me! EXCUSES! When the Lord lays something on your heart, HERE COME THE TOBIAH S OF THE CHURCH! They are so against change and feel justified in doing anything to stop the work of God! This study in Nehemiah IS A MUST before starting anything for God! BILL DUVALL 3

3 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quoted are taken from the KING JAMES VERSION of the Bible and is used by permission. THE TOBIAH SPIRIT! Copyright 2003 Second printing 2004 Volume 45 Bill Duvall Ministries, INC. Cabot, AR Published by Self Image Publications AKA Bill Duvall Ministries, INC. Cabot, AR Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved under United States and International Copyright Law Contents and cover may not be reproduced in whole or in part in any form or stored in any retrieval system without the express written consent of the publisher. 4

4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page Page 4 Table Of Contents 5 Introduction 6 Dedication 8 The Tobiah Spirit At Work! 9 Who Is Tobiah? 10 The How To s Of Getting Things Done! 12 The Six Petition Request! 14 The Repentance Of Nehemiah! 15 God Responds To Our Faith, Not Our Needs! 16 Dealing With The Tobiah Spirit! 18 Satan s Tenacity! 20 Satan Uses People 22 The Downward Progression Of Sin 24 Tobiah And The Storehouse 27 The Tragedy Of The Tithe! 28 The Church And Money 29 The Tobiah Spirit Still Prevails! 31 Manuals And Books By Bill Duvall 33 About Bill Duvall Ministries 42 To DOWNLOAD Additional Material 43 5

5 INTRODUCTION They are out there aren t they?! Our churches are filled with the Tobiah s of the world who feel a special calling to stop whatever progress anyone tries to make in the advancement of the Kingdom. Nothing seems to be off limits as they will do everything in their power to stop, or if necessary, destroy any preacher or person in their way! The status quo must be preserved at all cost! More often than not, these Tobiahs are the leaders of their respective churches. They serve on various boards and committees and are so entrenched that only death can move them! They are like the Apostle Paul before he was converted! He was bound and determined to rid the world of anyone who did not agree with him and his way of worshiping! He had his orders and if he found any of this Way, it was off to prison and he would gladly hold your coat while you stoned someone to death! Only God knows the countless millions that will spend an eternity in Hell because someone with no faith was able to stop the few who did have faith! Folks, it is not a sin to start small but you cannot wholly follow God and stay small! It is an impossibility! It cannot be done! Any church who follows their God called and anointed Pastor cannot help but grow! Now, I realize there are some worthless and lazy people who have been elected as Pastor and they are a disgrace to 6

6 humanity. I also realize that there are some very dedicated saints who are the salt of the earth. However, this book IS NOT about them! This book is about the Tobiahs of the world who stop the work of God intentionally and those who yield to them and thereby join them in their rebellion against God, even though this was not their intent! May God open our eyes to the part we play and our attitudes towards change. In His Name, Bill Duvall Bill Duvall, Teacher (Ephesians 4:11-12) 7

7 DEDICATION This Study Guide is dedicated to every Pastor, Elder, Deacon, Teacher and Church Member whose soul burns with fire to reach the masses. There are those who actually believe their mission in life is to stop your progress but do not be despaired --- Victory lies just ahead --- if you faint not. 8

8 THE TOBIAH SPIRIT! There is a story that I remember from years ago that has proven itself over and over in my many years of ministry. In a church business meeting the young pastor, hoping to thwart off any confrontation to his proposals, called upon a disgruntled church member to open the meeting with a prayer. The prayer went something like this: Lord, you know we want our church to stay small so we can know everyone. We don t want to be like some of these citified churches who has all those snotty-noised kids running everywhere messing up their buildings. We don t want a bunch of young people here that might be corrupted by dope nor do we want their parents who never discipline them. We ask you to remove anyone from our midst who wants to change things. And speaking of our pastor Lord, we ask that you keep him humble and poor. On second thought Lord, you just keep him humble and we will see that he stays poor. I ask all this in the name of Jesus. Amen. While we might chuckle at the above because of its complete contradiction to the will of God, every church in America and probably the world, is filled with people with this Tobiah mind-set! Change the circumstances and the location and YOU KNOW the person or persons in YOUR CHURCH who would pray the exact prayer! They have the Tobiah Spirit of wanting everything to stay the same, thus causing the work of God to fail! 9

9 In most churches, God blesses, not because of what they are doing, but rather IN SPITE of what they are doing! Most people who get saved and join our churches do so, not because of what we are doing, but rather IN SPITE of what we are doing! Just think what we could do if everyone in the church pulled together and INTENTIONALLY went out to reach the masses! PREACHER, WHO IS TOBIAH? Tobiah was a real person in the days of Nehemiah, around 445 B.C... He is mentioned in thirteen (13) verses in the Bible and his name is ALWAYS synonymous with negativism and ridicule towards the people of God and the work of God. Nehemiah, the royal cup-bearer for King Artaxerxes of Persia, was given permission by his King to return to his homeland and fortify the city of Jerusalem by rebuilding the walls and gates. This is where we run into Tobiah! He and an old boy by the name of Sanballat became wroth when they found out that Nehemiah had come to restore Jerusalem! Listen to Nehemiah s words: Nehemiah 2:9-10 (BDT) So I went to the governors of the providences west of the Euphrates River and gave them the letters from my King, who had also sent his army officers and cavalrymen to protect me. 10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very angry that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites. 10

10 Sanballat was the governor of Samaria and Tobiah, his ally, was the governor of the neighboring province across the Jordan where the Ammoniates had once lived. These two men did everything within their power to stop the work of God. As a matter of fact, no church should start a work for God without first having a serious study of the little book of Nehemiah! First, Nehemiah saw the need. Most stop here! First of all, none of us can do the job that needs to be done on our own! Therefore, it will require moving the hand of God and the hand of man in our favor if we are to get the job done! Need I say that God IS NEVER the problem! You cannot do something TOO BIG for God! After all, He has told us to win the world! He will NEVER give us a command that He WILL NOT provide the power to perform and provide the way to get the job done! NEVER! He says, Enlarge your tents! He says, Open your mouth wide and I will fill it! Nowhere in the Holy Word do we find God chiding someone for wanting to do too much! The only limit we have is the limit we place upon ourselves! So, moving the hand of God IS NEVER a problem, once He shows us a need and once we commit to Him concerning that need! 11

11 The bank of Heaven is at our disposal! Knowing this, Nehemiah turned to God in prayer concerning the how-to s of getting the job done. Watch this: Nehemiah 1:4-11 (NIV) When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said: O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and obey His commands, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. 8 Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name. 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man (Artaxerxes). I was cupbearer to the King. Note first the conditions that led to Nehemiah s prayer: 1. When he heard of the conditions at Jerusalem he 12

12 was move in his heart. He sat down and wept. 2. This brokenness let to prayer and fasting seeking the will of God. 3. Once the will of God was known, he then knew how to pray for victory. Note next the contents of Nehemiah s prayer: 1. He addressed his prayer to God. (Verse 5a) O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, This may seem trivial, but most of our praying is done to impress our fellowman and not to remind God of who He is. Ouch! That hurts doesn t it but the reason it hurts is that it IS the truth! Most believers seldom pray. Now, I DO NOT mean by this that they don t pray AT ALL but rather that they do not spend the night in soul searching prayer to God! We whisper a prayer as we lay down or when we eat our food and I certainly do not want to diminish the importance of doing this. However, how many of us sit up all night praying for a loved one? How many of us sit up all night and pray for our sin sick world? How many of us sit up all night in prayer for our next door neighbor and vow to God to fast until our neighbor is saved? 13

13 Most of our praying is what I call have too praying. We pray when called upon or when the Order of Service printed in the church bulletin calls for it. Someone has said, most of our praying takes place between the time our brakes lock up and the tail lights start breaking in the car in front of us! We all become prayer warriors then! 2. The second thing Nehemiah did in his prayer is remind God of His character! (Verse 5b) ---Who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and obey His commands, Nehemiah needed help from the Creator God who can and will do anything we who are in His will need --- IF WE WILL JUST ASK IN FAITH BELIEVING! He simply reminds God that He has done it for others and now Nehemiah s turn had come! 3. Note the six (6) requests Nehemiah makes: --- Let your ear be attentive. (Verse 6) --- Let your eyes be open. (Verse 6) --- Remember, I beseech you, the word commanded to Moses. (Verse 8) --- Let now your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant. (Verse 11) --- Prosper your servant this day. (Verse 11) --- Grant me favor in the eyes of my King. 14

14 (Verse 11) We DO have Scriptural rights to go to God with every problem --- be it small or large, because with God, either one is a snap --- or anything in between! With God the size of a problem doesn t matter. What matters is that His servants come to Him in child-like faith and ask Him what they will! Nehemiah not only asked that God bless him but he also asked that God MOVE THE HAND of King Artaxerxes in his favor! 4. Notice also the repentance and confession that took place in the heart of Nehemiah: --- I confess the sins of Israel. (Verse 6) --- I pray before you day and night. (Verse 6) --- We have all sinned against you. (Verse 6) --- My father s house and I have sinned. (Verse 6) --- We have dealt very corruptfully in our dealings with you. (Verse 7) --- We have broken your commandments. (Verse 7) --- We have broken your statutes. (Verse 7) --- We have not kept your judgments. (Verse 7) 15

15 Wow! According to man s way of thinking, there is NO WAY God is going to help Nehemiah! With all his sins, he doesn t deserve to be helped! GOD RESPONDS TO OUR FAITH! What we fail to realize is that God DOES NOT answer our prayers because we deserve to be heard! If He did, we would NEVER get the smallest prayer answered. God answers prayer THROUGH HIS GRACE, NOT OUR WORTHINESS! When we come to God with a repentant heart and ask according to His will, He hears us and when we have His ear, we can ask what we will and IT SHALL BE DONE! Watch this: John 15:7-8 (KJV) If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. John 14:12-14 (KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. Did God set a limit on His blessings? NO! The bigger the problem the MORE BLESSED the Father becomes when we boldly come to Him with our requests! He desires that we BEAR MORE FRUIT, NOT LESS! 16

16 Nehemiah GLORIFIED THE FATHER with his requests and God answered his prayers accordingly! When God answered the prayers of Nehemiah, it did not have ANYTHING TO DO with the worthiness of Nehemiah nor will it be our worthiness that moves the hand of God in our favor when we come to Him! He is moved only by our faith! 5. Nehemiah also acknowledged that the blessings of God are conditional: This is why repentance on our part is so necessary if we are to walk in the blessings and protection of God! --- If you turn to me. (Verse 9) --- If you keep my commandments and do them (Verse 9) God IS serious about His word and our obedience to do what He says WHEN HE SAYS IT! There are four (4) more Scriptures that I want us to look at before we deal with the Tobiah Spirit as they set the stage for TOTAL VICTORY for Nehemiah and all who would follow his example. Let these Scriptures set you free: Romans 5:20 (KJV) Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: Note please, that when Satan attacks a child of God who is completely sold out to Him, OLD TESTAMENT OR NEW TESTAMENT, God s grace will ALWAYS be more bountifully than any sin Satan can muster! 17

17 2 nd Peter 2:9 (KJV) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the Day of Judgment to be punished: Long before Satan strikes with his temptations, God is ready to deliver His people! 1 st Corinthians 10:13 (KJV) There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Satan NEVER catches God off guard! He knows what Satan is going to do long before Satan make his move and has a plan all laid out for the deliverance of His children! Philippians 4:19 (KJV) But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. When God lays a work on our heart, He WILL ALWAYS provide whatever it takes in the way of people, money and resources to accomplish the task! Little did Nehemiah know that before the foundation of the world, God had made provision for the defeat of Sanballat and Tobiah! NOW, LET S DEAL WITH TOBIAH! While Nehemiah was praying and believing God, Satan was placing thoughts is the mind of his servants, Sanballat and Tobiah. While no one likes to think of themselves as BEING RULED by Satan, this is exactly what happens, not only to nonbelievers, but non-committed believers as well! Watch this: 18

18 2 nd Timothy 2:24-26 (KJV) And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. Verse 26 plainly states that those who ARE NOT grounded in the faith and those who DO NOT believe can be taken by Satan AT HIS WILL! This is exactly what Satan does to Sanballat and Tobiah! Nehemiah 2:10-20 (KJV) When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel. 11 So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. 12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. 13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. 14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass. 15 Then went I up in the night by the brook, and viewed the wall, and turned back, and entered by the gate of the valley, and so returned. 16 And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the work. 19

19 17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. 18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? Will ye rebel against the king? 20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, He will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem. Now the sad part of this scenario is that the word Tobiah means Jehovah is good! His parents did all they could but alas, often times this is not enough! Sanballat and Tobiah by this time have been on the phone as we would say today, drumming up support. Verse 19 says that Geshem the Arabian has joined up, having been enlisted to help them. Note what Satan led them to do: (Verse 19) 1. Laughed the servants of God to scorn, and Despised the servants of God, and said---, 3. What is this thing that ye do? Will ye rebel against the king? If you have ever been in a church that was seriously trying to do the work of God, you have heard and seen The Spirit of Tobiah in action! 20

20 I remember in one of my pastorates we had just set State records in Vacation Bible School enrollment, attendance and baptisms. We had enrolled well over 1000, had a 10 day average of over 600 in each session with 129 making a profession of faith in Christ! The Monday after our Bible School was over a member of our church came storming into my office and said, Pastor, these kids have killed our lawn! It did not take me but a split second to get out of the Spirit and into the flesh! I told him in no uncertain terms that if it was necessary to reach our city for Christ we would concrete the yard and paint it green but UNDER NO CONDITIONS would we stop reaching people! I remember an organist in one of our churches that told my wife how she had threatened the former pastor with quitting if he didn t stop dragging in all the riff-raff of the city. Marilyn told her, Don t ever say anything like that to my husband or you will have played your last note! She did not heed the warning! Our Youth Pastor invited in a Christian Rock Group and this lady stormed out the side door and slammed it as she left, letting everyone know that she was not going to put up with this new pastor and his unorthodox methods. The next Sunday there was a young man playing the organ and he was STILL THERE when I left the church two years later! Now I must confess that I DO NOT like Christian Rock but young people do and we had several youth saved THAT SERVICE and an alter full of young people rededicating their lives! 21

21 I must also confess that I believe God s building and grounds should outclass everything else in the city but souls ARE MORE IMPORTANT than anything --- PERIOD! Only Eternity will tell of the souls that ARE STILL BEING REACHED because of that Vacation Bible School and that particular youth service! May God help us to engage our brain before we open our mouth! Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem tormented Nehemiah and the servants of God but in the end God ALWAYS prevails. Note again what Nehemiah told them: 20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, He will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem. What a horrible indictment to be against the work and people of God and to find that because of our actions we have No portion, or right, or memorial in the city of God! However, this warning DID NOT dampen their spirit but only enraged them the more! Watch this: Nehemiah 4:1-15 (NIV) When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble--burned as they are? 22

22 3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, What they are building--if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!" (Nehemiah prays) 4 Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders. (Nehemiah continues the work) 6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. 7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. 9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. 10 Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall. 11 Also our enemies said, Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work. 12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, Wherever you turn, they will attack us. 13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, Don t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes. 15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work. 23

23 Isn t this just like the devil? He is a defeated foe but until he is thrown in the Lake of Fire there will still be gullibles like Sanballat and Tobiah for him to use. First it was simple humiliation that turned to hate and now they are plotting to murder! This is simply the end justifies the means mentality of today in action back then! Now the devil is getting nervous! Watch what he does next! Nehemiah 6:10-19 (NIV) One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you--by night they are coming to kill you. 11 But I said, Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go! 12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. (Nehemiah prays again) 14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me. 15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their selfconfidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. 17 Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. 18 For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he 24

24 was son-in-law to Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. 19 Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me. As you can see by these verses Satan DOES NOT give up easily. Tobiah has enlisted several other important people to help him intimidate the servants of God. He even started a letter writing campaign trying to stop the work of God and hired hit men on the inside to do his dirty work! However, please note that even with all this hate and political politicking, the work WAS FINISHED in just fifty-two (52) days! While some admitted that God had done this great work, it DID NOT stop Tobiah! Let s continue: Nehemiah 13:4-31 (NIV) On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the Assembly of God, 2 because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.) 3 When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent. 4 Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms (Storehouse) of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah, 5 and he had provided him (Tobiah) with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense 25

25 and temple articles, and also the tithes of grain, new wine and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests. 6 But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission and came back to Jerusalem. 7 Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God. (The Storehouse) 8 I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah s household goods out of the room. (The Storehouse) 9 I gave orders to purify the rooms, and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense. 10 I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them, and that all the Levites and singers responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields. 11 So I rebuked the officials and asked them, Why is the house of God neglected? Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts. 12 All Judah brought the tithes of grain, new wine and oil into the storerooms. 13 I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because these men were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their brothers. Wow! Can you believe what you have just read?! Can you believe the audacity of some people towards the things of God? Despite the conniving of Sanballat, Tobiah and their allies, the wall and the gates to the city were built in 52 days. Worship was re-established and the reading of the books of 26

26 Moses was re-enacted. To see that this kind of shenanigans did not happen again a decree was issued removing all the foreigners from Israel. However, before this occurred, Satan had entrenched his people in the priesthood. The priest was a personal friend of Tobiah (probably on his payroll) and had given Tobiah the sacred storehouse where worshipers brought their tithes and offerings! Note what Malachi had to say about this area of the Temple: Malachi 3:10-12 (KJV) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse (where Tobiah was living), that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that [there shall] not [be room] enough [to receive it]. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. 12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts. TOBIAH AND THE STOREHOUSE! The storehouse was a special warehouse adjacent to the Temple where the gifts from the people were stored. It contained the tithes and special offerings from the people to their God. Needless to say this area was very sacred to God --- BUT NOT TO TOBIAH! As you can see, he was able to work his way into this sacred area and was using it as his personal dwelling! The storehouse IS NOT a religious term but rather A 27

27 REAL PLACE where the priests stored up the grain offerings brought in by the people of God. Its sole purpose was for the operation of the Temple and to supply the needs of the priests and their families. Once the tithe was collected to operate the house of God, special offerings were given so the needs of the people could be met! THE TRAGEDY OF THE TITHE! This is where we miss it today with our teachings on tithing. We are to tithe so the needs of the church can be met and we are to give offerings so our needs can be met! IT TAKES BOTH! Malachi 3:8-9 (KJV) Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? (Note Gods answer) In tithes and offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Not only had Tobiah worked his way into the storehouse, the priests and their families were being denied their needs because of this. Since they could no longer live from the storehouse tithes, they had to return to their fields to make a living and because of this, Nehemiah was furious! When he returned from serving his King, the first thing he did was CLENSE THE STOREHOUSE by kicking Tobiah and all his belongings out and re-dedicating this area to God again. He placed in charge priests who would honor God AND GUARDS to see that the Tobiahs of the day DID NOT RETURN! 28

28 THE CHURCH AND MONEY As you can see from the above verses, God is dead serious about His tithe and our offerings. How a church handles money deeply affects its destiny; its ability to minister truth to the soul of mankind. One major reason many churches dry up and lose their candlestick is that they have starved their pastors, stoned their prophets and rejected the teaching of the men God has sent them. Instead of seeing how cheap they can get a pastor, they ought to give him their tithes and offerings and let him pay the bills of the church. After all, this IS his responsibility. It was so in the Old Testament and it is so in the New Testament. Watch how money was handled in the New Testament: Acts 4:35 (KJV) And laid them (their tithes and offerings) down at the apostles feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. Acts 4:37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles feet. Acts 5:2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles feet. The tithe and the offerings go the local pastor and he sees that the needs of the church and the people are met. Anything else is foreign to the Bible. The Apostles used the Deacons of Acts 6 to distribute and 29

29 meet the needs of the people so they could spend their time in prayer and the study of the Word! Jesus had His own treasurer. Judas distributed to the needs of the people as Jesus instructed. Through out the Bible we see the monies of the people placed in the hands of the priests, the Apostles and Jesus. These men of God took what they needed for their respective families and distributed the rest to the needs of the people. When done this way there WAS NEVER ANY WANT! God rebuked the devourer for the sake of His people! Watch this: 1 st Corinthians 9:9 (KJV) For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? 1 st Timothy 5:17-17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The laborer is worthy of his reward. That these verses refer to the preachers compensation there can be no doubt. A church simply CANNOT OUTGIVE GOD and one way to prove this is to see that the pastor and pastors of the congregation have every need met --- AND THEN DOUBLE THAT! This gets God into the picture and gets Him excited about a people who love and honors the man of God He has sent them. 30

30 BUT ALAS, THE TOBIAH SPIRIT STILL PREVAILS! The Tobiah spirit still rules our churches of today. It discourages the builders, resists any kind of change which stagnates revival and discourages members from bucking the status quo of their forefathers. When God sets a new pastor in His church every member should get behind their new pastor and support his ministry completely. No, he WILL NOT do things exactly like their former pastor. This IS NOT why God placed him there. If God had wanted things to continue the same He would not have removed the former pastor! It s not that the former pastor was doing things incorrectly but rather that the church needs to grow even more through the new pastor! He has been sent there to lead and train the membership to be the ministers God has called them to be. He has not been sent there so the membership can tell him what they want him to do! Watch this: Ephesians 4:11-16 (KJV) And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, 31

31 by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. Some were given Apostles, missionaries, who will stir the hearts of the membership towards missions. Through them we learn that the world is our pulpit! Some were given Prophets that would boldly stand and proclaim Thus saith the Lord! Some were given Evangelist to show the church that their local area could be reach for Christ! Some were given pastors and teachers so the church could be grounded in the Word! But the reason God gave all these gifted men of God was for the perfecting of the saints so the saints could do the work of the ministry and thus edify or build up of the body of Christ! Each man of God contributes to this end. It IS NOT that one person s style or gift of ministry is greater than the other! So please, in the lovely name of Jesus, DO NOT let the Spirit of Tobiah consume you but rather grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord under the anointing of the pastor you now have. When God is ready for you to grow in another area, He will supply you with a minister with THAT anointing! 32

32 EBOOKS BY BILL DUVALL All our books are now in ebook format only. To continue self-publishing them for retail purchases we would have to charge astronomical prices. Our desire is to be a blessing to the Body of Christ and depend on Father God to supply our every need. Visit our website at for free downloading information. Our materials are listed below with a brief description of the contents of each ebook. The WOK AND WALK WEIGHT CONTROL PLAN This manual takes you from WHERE YOU ARE to WHERE YOU WANT TO BE by showing you how to take off all your extra pounds and keep them off forever! MUCH MORE THAN A BOOK, it is a WORKING MANUAL for your health, both physically AND Spiritually! FROM POVERTY TO PRO$PERITY! Almost every teaching of the church today concerning poverty and prosperity is in actuality just the opposite of what the Bible teaches. If you have ever doubted the teachings of man concerning our pleasing God by living in poverty, then you need to get this book! 33

33 WHATEVER HAPPENED TO MARRIAGE?! Is marriage even relevant for today s society with all its sophistication, or is marriage like the horse and buggy of days gone by? Travel the pages of the Bible as the author shows beyond doubt that not only is marriage FOR TODAY, but in reality, is man s ONLY HOPE of salvaging a world falling apart! This Study Guide will change your outlook on marriage forever! SOUL WINNING MADE EASY! This book is designed to equip, train and inspire church members to be personal soul winners in obedience to the Great Commission. Every church in the world is filled with PERSONAL SOUL WINNERS---just waiting to be trained! No matter how much we want to obey Christ, WE CAN T, if we don t know how! This Book will turn the most timid church member into a flaming Evangelist! ALL THINGS NEW! Travel through the pages of the Bible as the author gives a short but detailed explanation of what happens when we are born again! Subjects discussed are the new birth itself, the new family, our new responsibilities, our new master, our new problems, our new standards and our new future! AND THE LORD GOD WINKED! If you enjoy a good belly laugh, you will get your money s worth---and MORE---with these true stories of the funny things that happen at church to church people! Warning! Sit down and put on your depends BEFORE you start reading because you will need them from the front page on! 34

34 PASTORS, DEACONS AND CHURCH DISCIPLINE! In your denominational setting, who runs your local church? All questions are answered with Scripture after Scripture and chart after chart, PROVING BEYOND DOUBT, just how Christ intended HIS CHURCH to operate on Planet Earth! THE LITERAL REIGN OF CHRIST! The Sequel to The Second Coming, Starts with Christ s return and basically deals with the Millennial Reign of Christ from David s Throne. See for yourself the final destruction of Satan, the future---and BEYOND! DEMONS, THEN AND NOW! This Study Guide not only teaches about Demons and their activities today, but NAMES THEM one by one and teaches you how to detect AND defeat demonic activity in your life and the life of fellow believers. THE TRUTH ABOUT SATAN! Ask the average church member who Satan is and what they believe about him, and wait for their reply! The church is completely ignorant as to who Satan is and know even less about doing battle with him! This Study Guide will change your life! RISE AND BE HEALED! Only the Father Himself knows the devout sons and daughters of His who are in Heaven, that could still be on Earth today, in perfect health, had they only have known what the Word teaches about healing! Let the Word of God speaks for itself! 35

35 THE TRUTH ABOUT PROSPERITY! Satan has so duped the church into believing a lie that it is almost impossible to get Bible Believers to accept the prosperity message, and certainly not the work-a-day-world! Beloved, God wants the very best for you and every believer. A must if you are to achieve what God wants for you! THE TRAGEDY OF THE TITHE! Have you ever seen a believer get rich from tithing? No?! And you never will, and yet this is what is taught today! God s will IS for us to prosper and the tithe IS INVOLVED, but it takes more! Find out the truth about the tithe and how God can use this knowledge to not only meet your needs, but make you very successful! THE TRUTH ABOUT ABORTION! From the opening sentence, this Study Guide tells it like the Bible tells it, with Scripture after Scripture that will assure even the most skeptical that abortion is out and out murder, under any circumstance, and that the guilty not only must pay, but also will pay! THE VIRGIN BIRTH! Concerning the Virgin Birth, man is one step from stupid or one step from salvation! The chart alone is worth twice the price! This Study Guide shows that man s ONLY HOPE is in the Virgin Birth! DIVORCE, REMARRIAGE AND CHRISTIAN SERVICE! Watch the Scriptures COME ALIVE as the author proves once and for all that the only unpardonable sin is the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, and that, therefore, divorced people CAN be 36

36 forgiven AND used in any capacity that God calls! Do not live in ignorance concerning this most important subject, especially if you have suffered a divorce, or know someone who has! NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD! If there has ever been any doubt about the blood of Christ being man s only hope for salvation, you need this Study Guide! The author takes the Word of God and Medical Science and proves beyond doubt that the life of the flesh is in the blood. THE TRUTH ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY! The sin that will bring about the return of Christ is making its play for acceptability, and our Government has bought it, hook, line and sinker! If you want the truth from the Scriptures, here it unapologetically is! A must for today s world, especially the teenager! Warning! Very Plain English with no holds barred! THE TRUTH ABOUT DEATH! If you have any questions about death and how Christians should die, you need this Study Guide! The chart on Luke, chapter 16, allows the reader to see into the Unseen World! THE SECOND COMING! If you have questions as to the when, where and how of the Second Coming, then don t hesitate to order this Study Guide! This teaching is crammed full of positive proof concerning the Second Coming and the events of that day. Charts included. THE CREATION! What are you telling your children about Evolution and what the Bible teaches about Creation? Are you sure yourself? No 37

37 need to worry ever again! It is all laid out so there can be no doubt to the serious student of the Word---or even a novice! THE TRUTH ABOUT HEAVEN AND HELL! Who is going to be in Hell and who is going to be in Heaven? More importantly, How can we know for certain that we are going to Heaven and not to Hell when we die? Every question you have wanted to ask, but never did, is answered in this Study Guide! WHO IS GOD? How would you describe God? Most cannot, yet in the Bible, we have everything we would ever need to know this side of heaven about God, including His name! The author takes you through the Bible and when your journey is over, you will have experienced God in a completely new way! RELIGION VERSES CHRISTIANITY! God s way or man s way, which will it be? That IS Religion verses Christianity! The author graphically points out the truths concerning the fallacy of Religion and that man s only hope is in the Christ of Christianity! THE TRUTH ABOUT SALVATION! Taken from the heart of the Scriptures themselves, the author shows beyond any reasonable doubt that Christ is our only hope! If you have ever had doubts, this IS what you need. REVELATION REVEALED! Most publishers entitle the book, The Revelation of John while the very first verse says it is the Revelation of Jesus 38

38 Christ! Watch the Book of Revelation COME ALIVE as the past, present and future unfold before your very eyes! THE SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER! The Believer IS secure, but can you describe what a Believer is---according to the Bible? Many are trusting in church membership or a past experience (either real or imagined) to get them into Heaven, and it simply will not measure up when looked at through the eyes of the Bible! A Spiritual eye opener! THE TRUTH ABOUT BAPTISM! With the teachings of today, from baptism is not important, to baptism saves, what is one to believe? Whatever your church affiliation, the Bible teaches only one thing about what Scriptural Baptism is. Charts Included. REIGNING AS A KING AND PRIEST! The author dispels any doubt about what it takes to be what God wants us to be. He shows beyond doubt why so many believers live beneath their dignity as sons and daughters of God, and lists 9 steps to get you from where you are to where you want to be in your Christian walk! HOW TO HEAR THE VOICE OF GOD! This Study Guide will tell and show you how you can hear and have a personal conversation with God on any subject that is important to you! Don t miss this much-needed revelation! THE BRIDE OF CHRIST! There are those who teach that they are the ONE AND ONLY! All other groups are on their way to Hell, even though they believe, because they are not a part of their group! This Study 39

39 Guide uses the same Scriptures the above groups use, to disprove their pet theories! Truly an eye opener! THE UN-HOLY TRINITY! Tribulation IS A WAY OF LIFE in most of the known World, especially in Christian circles, AND IS SOON COMING TO AMERICA! The Un-holy Trinity, consisting of Satan (Anti-God), The Beast (Anti-Christ) and the False Prophet (Anti-Holy Spirit), are just as real as the Holy Trinity. WHAT IS SIN? Sin, to most folks, is WHAT SOMEONE ELSE DOES! But sin IS what God says it is! Travel with the author as he explores the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation seeking God s definition of Sin! Truly an eye opener for today s society! WHY DOESN T GOD---? The author deals AT LENGTH with why unfairness prevails, using Scripture after Scripture to open the eyes of the reader to the mind of Almighty God! You will treasure this and share it s truths for years to come! SEXUAL PURITY! What does God have to say about sex and its usage, both in and outside of marriage? WARNING! No holds barred and the subject matter is triple XXX in places, but its truth can set you free and IS SO NEEDED in today s WANTON WORLD! THE GRAVE PERIOD OF CHRIST! The author USES THE FEAST DAYS of Israel, along with the ARK and BAPTISM, to prove beyond doubt that Christ was in the 40

40 grave a full three days and three nights, or seventy-two (72) hours! A Spiritual feast! THE HOLY TRINITY! There are over five hundred (500) Scriptures that definitely teach a Divine Trinity and the Scriptures also abound concerning the Gathering of God s people to Him when He returns during The Second Coming. THE ANTICHRIST! The author believes the time is now ripe for the Man of Sin to make his appearance on planet Earth! He is described in the Bible as The Other that shall come. A must for the serious student of Scripture as this Study Guide answers your every question concerning end-time events! THE SECRET SIN! (The Devastation Of Pornography) Pornography has moved from the Back Allies of our Father s day and is making its play for the hearts and minds of our youth! Pornography takes in more money each year than does Rock And Roll, Country And Western, The Theater, Ballet, and Broadway productions combined! SATAN AND HIS FOLLOWERS! In this book, the author takes the reader back in the eons of time, BEFORE CREATION, then through history and, finally, you will see Satan cast alive into the Lake Of Fire where he will spend Eternity! THE RESURRECTION! The difference between Religion and Christianity is the Resurrection of Jesus Christ! The world loves religion but 41

41 detests Christianity because of the blood! This study is a must for your skeptical friends and non-saved church members. 666, YOU RE NUMBER IS UP! In this Study Guide, the author proves beyond doubt that the number of the beast actually identifies the Satanic Trinity! If you are concerned about the end times and the events of that day, then this study will enlighten you even more. The author even goes so far as to tell us who he believes the Antichrist to be! THE TWO NATURES (Of Every Believer)! If you are experiencing a struggle between your spirit and your flesh, the author says, Welcome to the human race! Your new nature is from God but you still live in a flesh body that is of this world. Every struggle known to man and HOW TO DEAL WITH IT is dealt with in this Study Guide. RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD! Are you a student of the Word, or are you just trusting your denomination, church or clergy to interpret the Word for you? Perhaps you do not believe the Word is relevant for today. Then, by all means, this Study Guide is for you! Travel with the author as he PROVES the Word using SCIENCE AND NATURE, leaving nothing to chance! TRIBULATION: THE COMING HOLOCAUST! What Hitler did to the Jews during World War II is a preview of what is coming to the entire earth in the very near future. The author says of today s Prophetic Teachings, Where are the Scriptures? He says, Don t tell me --- SHOW ME! Chart Included. 42

42 THE SPIRIT OF TOBIAH! This special study from the book of Nehemiah IS A MUST before starting any new work for God! If you have ever had to deal with difficult people, then this book IS just for you. NO CROSS --- NO CHRIST! There are those today who ignore the cross of Christ by teaching that it is past and to preach the cross is to give a negative message. Others teach that the preaching of the cross is foolishness. This study takes the Scriptures and shows that the cross of Christ and the gospel are one and the same. Truly an eye opener to refute today s modern teachings! WHATEVER HAPPENED TO MARRIAGE?! Is marriage even relevant for today s society with all its sophistication, or is marriage like the horse and buggy of days gone by? Travel the pages of the Bible as the author shows beyond doubt that not only is marriage FOR TODAY, but in reality, is man s ONLY HOPE of salvaging a world falling apart! This Study Guide will change your outlook on marriage forever! SOUL WINNING MADE EASY! This book is designed to equip, train and inspire church members to be personal soul winners in obedience to the Great Commission. Every church in the world is filled with PERSONAL SOUL WINNERS --- just waiting to be trained! No matter how much we want to obey Christ, WE CAN T, if we don t know how! This Book will turn the most timid church member into a flaming Evangelist! 43

43 ABOUT OUR MINISTRY It is our intent at Bill Duvall Ministries to be a blessing and supply our readers with top quality books and materials. We DO NOT expect everyone to agree with everything we say but we DO expect our material to make you SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES, and this IS our intent. Our books can be downloaded for free at our website at: Pastor, we believe in your ministry of reaching the World with the Word and wish to play a vital role. We want to help you spread the Word around the world by giving a donation to help in publishing and distributing the Word. (All gifts are tax-deductible). Visit our website at to make your donation. Thank you for your faithful prayers and financial support! 44

44 William L. Duvall, Th.D. Dr. Duvall is an ordained Southern Baptist minister who has had the honor of pastoring both small and large multistaffed churches as well as conducted Revivals and Bible Conferences across America. Some highlights of Dr. Duvall s ministry includes: Establishing Bill Duvall Ministries, INC., The Christ Is The Answer Radio Broadcast, established two (2) churches, baptized 76 souls in the closing service of a Soul Winning campaign with 596 total additions to the church during the same period, has written and published sixty five (65) books and Study Guides plus numerous Seminary courses. Dr. Duvall has had the honor of being called Pastor by fourteen (14) different churches and has served his denomination as an Interim Associational Missionary. In addition to his preaching and writing, Dr. Duvall is a gifted humorist and after dinner speaker. Dr. Duvall is married to his childhood sweetheart, the former Marilyn Hutson. It was Marilyn who led Dr. Duvall to the Lord as she would not marry a person who was not saved. The Duvall s have one son, William Todd and his wife Cherrye, Two grandchildren, Blake and his wife Sarah, and Bridgette and her husband Ryan and their son, Keegan Bear and daughter Keiki Nicole. 45