Writing Through the Bible in a Year

Introduction & Disclaimer

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Tamar

Our journey into ministry started when my husband and I wrote our first book, True Intimacy, together. It’s all about God, sex and marriage. We started with one of the toughest topics, everything since then has been CAKE! If you’re married I highly suggest reading these, if nothing else they’re a great refresher course. Which is why I believe God has instructed me to make this a yearly thing for www.TamarKnochel.com. to be posting the daily devotionals from our book True Intimacy.

May God bless your marriage RICHLY!!!!!


Numbers 1:1-3:39

Introduction to True Intimacy

In 2009 my husband and I set out on a journey to freedom; hopped onto the spiritual Underground Railroad so to speak. We had been married for nine years at that point and loved each other desperately… but we had issues; issues that just weren’t going away with time. I had prayed for years that God would “fix him” until one day something clicked for me. The things we’ve done in the past can follow us to our present and ruin our future! It was then that I realized I had to go back, open up things from our past that needed dealt with and, well, deal with them. Now, I’ve been a “goody-two-shoes” Christian girl my entire life. I didn’t have a lot of skeletons in my closet… but I did have some, and they needed to come out! The biggest and most important skeleton was the skeleton of pre-marital sex.

Pre-marital sex is extremely common these days, especially considering that some people aren’t even bothering to get married and are just living together instead. But just because everyone else is doing it (literally) doesn’t make it healthy or right. It just means there are that many more people calling curses down upon themselves and their love lives! I know that in this day and age when we think/hear about curses the first thing we think about is Harry Potter and magic wands and such. So when we hear that having sex outside of marriage (AKA. sexual immorality) brings a curse on our sex lives, it sounds absolutely ridiculous or absurd to most people. But the truth is that is precisely what happens! Until I really started digging deeply into the word of God, I didn’t understand what a curse even was. So indulge me for a brief moment as I expound what I’ve learned.

A curse is the opposite of a blessing. According to my gigantic Webster’s Dictionary, a curse is: “*the expression of a wish that misfortune, evil, doom, etc. befall another. *a formula or charm intended to cause such misfortune to another. *an evil that has been invoked upon one. *the cause of evil, misfortune or trouble.” So while a curse is something someone can speak, it is also something that is the cause of misfortune or trouble.

In Deuteronomy 28 God explains the difference between blessings and curses. He spends 11 verses explaining how “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these (11 verses worth of) blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:” (v.1-2) He then takes the rest of the chapter (almost 3 pages long in my Bible) to explain curses, what they look like and how they exhibit themselves. A few examples are: confusion, drought, disease, defeat, fever & inflammation, incurable boils, tumors, festering sores & itching, mildew, unsuccessful in everything you do, oppression, robbery, fiancé raped, work hard but never enjoy the fruits of your labor, debt, a foreign nation will strike out against your homeland, paychecks disappear before your eyes, sacrificing children and spouse well-being for your own selfish desires, no rest for the weary, anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, despairing heart, live in constant suspense, filled with dread day and night never sure of your life, “In the morning you will say, ‘If only it were evening!’ and in the evening, ‘If only it were morning!” (v. 67)

YIKES! And you see, the thing about living as a Christian is that it is possible to be blessed beyond the curse in one or even most areas of our lives and still be living under the curse in others. That is precisely what was happening in our marriage. We were living as believers under a heavy and oppressive curse, several of them. But God is an amazing God, abounding in love and mercy and goodness! You see, He heard my cries for help and He answered me and told me great and unsearchable things. Things that I did not know! (Jer 33:3) On July 14th 2009 God gave me a key. And Oh! What a key it is! Because this key unlocks curses! It unlocks the padlock of oppression that is keeping millions of people all over the world captive in satan’s jail. Heh, heh, heh, and I – the daughter of the living God Most High – have this key and I know how to use it! I know I have something precious and very important, and it wouldn’t be right of me to keep it to myself! So here I am to share it with all of you! Are you ready to hear what the key is that the Enemy has tried so desperately to keep a secret? SEX! … and not having it. Yup. It’s as simple as that! Read on my friend, you’ll see.

Disclaimer

This is not an ordinary book you hold in your hands. It is not a daily devotional, and yet, it kind of is. It is not a self-help book, and yet in a way it kind of is. It is not a journal, and yet it kind of is. Yes, this book is many things, but most of all, this book is a journey. It’s a step-by-step road map that we followed, sometimes despite confusion or frustration. It’s a path that led us to Jesus and a relationship with each other that we never could have imagined was possible. And it wasn’t possible, without Him. There will be things in this book that may sound silly or make no sense at the time that we ask them of you… but… know that the blessing that you will reap from doing them can and will be more profound and farther reaching than you ever imagined. So, for the next thirty four days, please commit yourself to reading daily and to “taking action” and you will not be sorry. You could read and not commit to take action; but don’t expect a full blessing if you don’t put in your full effort. As your tour guides on this journey we pray that you step onto this path with an open mind and an open heart, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead you to a closer relationship with Him and each other. May God bless you with His presence in each passing hour until we know Him fully.

– S. Christian & Tamar Knochel

Categories: 365 Life, Luke, True Intimacy | Leave a comment

50 Shades of Grey AND True Intimacy

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Tamar


Nehemiah 12:1-13:31

“But our God turned the curse into a blessing” Nehemiah 13:2

About six years ago our marriage changed forever.

You see, we went through this phase where we loved each other, but… we didn’t really like each other that much anymore. My only job was to cook, clean and care for the family – and I was THRILLED with it! My days were extremely fulfilling, I was proud of how I was taking care of our budding family. My nights on the other hand, were anything BUT a scene from 50 Shades of Grey. Most nights I would put the kids to bed on my own and then watch TV or hang out on the computer writing. My husband was nowhere in sight, off hanging out with his buddies working on those derby cars they cherished more than their wives. There were many nights I would cry myself to sleep because I was so frustrated and lonely. This man I had spent the last seven years surviving hell with was suddenly gone. We had been through so much together, with only the two of us to go through it, and now here we were, “settled” and he was gone. I felt so extremely alone, and hurt, and kind of used.

Then there came a day when, through the direction of the Holy Spirit, I went to him and told him everything that had been on my heart. For the next 30 days we lived through the “rough draft” of our first book, True Intimacy.

We did everything that this book details before pen ever touched paper. We experienced God in a completely different way than we ever had before; we experienced Him together by coming apart… and then back together again.

This Valentine’s Day everyone seems to be buzzing about 50 Shades of Grey. I haven’t seen the movie OR read the book and therefore have no informed opinion on it. But from what I have seen in the reviews and the commercials, 50 Shades of Grey is an intense journey through the bedroom of this un-married couple who do… ahem, different things to one another in a sexual manner. Now, the fact that this couple is not married enrages me for a multitude of reasons. However, if they were married to each other, it becomes a story of GOD’s picture for marriage! YES! It really is!

Again, I haven’t read the book or watched the movie however; after spending a lifetime studying the Bible and how God feels about sex and marriage, I am 100% confident in telling you that God WANTS you to enjoy sex with your spouse! God created sex. God created marriage. He put Adam and Eve together and said, “Go populate the rest of the world!” Hello! If that doesn’t mean go have LOTS of sex and enjoy each other while doing it, I don’t know what does!

There was a day when I was praying about sex and marriage and asking God about it and He told me, “I created marriage so that you could do whatever your filthy little minds came up with to do.” God KNOWS that humanity is going to come up with some pretty “weird” stuff to do to each other when we’ve been married for YEARS and we want to “spice it up a notch”. And as long as you’re keeping it all between the two of you, man and wife, and both of you are comfortable with what’s being done, GO FOR IT!!!! God created you. He created your bodies and your marriage and everything that that entails. He wants you to enjoy each other completely! Why else would He have included the Song of Solomon in the Bible where He says to the happy couple, “Eat friends, drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers.” (5:1) Sweetie, He aint talkin’ ’bout no regular food and drink here! He’s talking about sex!!!

For the next few weeks I’ll be posting the chapters from our book True Intimacy! I encourage you to read them with your spouse and see what God taught us about marriage and how wonderful it can be. It is a challenge. To do everything the book suggests isn’t easy; however it is TOTALLY worth every difficult second! Our marriage has never been better and we praise God for bringing True Intimacy into our lives! We pray that God will use it in your lives to bring True Intimacy to your marriage too! God bless you!

Categories: 365 Life, Nehemiah, Season 3, True Intimacy | Leave a comment

Go For It!

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Tamar


Nehemiah 9:1-11:36

“You led them with a pillar of cloud by day, and with a pillar of fire by night, to illuminate the way they should go.” Nehemiah 9:12

Every Tuesday I get an email from Marie Forleo. She is one of my FAVORITE people on the internet right now. What I love the most about Marie TV is her tagline. She ends every show with, “Keep going for your dreams, because the world needs that special gift that only you have.” And I have to admit, I think there are days that I watch her videos JUST to hear that tagline.

Then yesterday I got an email back from Fishhook and wouldn’t you know it, the tagline to his last email said, “Because who you are, and the work you do matters.”

Then while reading today’s Word of the Day the phrase “illuminate the way they should go” stood out to me. It is the way of the Lord to lead us. It’s just what He does. He always has and He always will. And it’s our blessing to follow His lead and see where He takes us. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has plans for us, plans for hope and a future. He created each and every one of us with a purpose, a goal in mind.

There’s another phrase I’ve heard tossed around a lot when people are talking about doing work for the Church they’ll say, “I’m attending to the Lord’s work.” That phrase has never bothered me until lately, as in, since I’ve been called away from my desk and computer and out into the “real world” to “go to work”. For the last seven years I’ve felt like I was doing “the Lord’s work” aka, ministry. And the thought of being called away from it killed me. It took nine long grueling months for me to come to terms with something. It’s ALL the Lord’s work! The only difference between doing something for my boss and doing it for God is the state of my heart when it’s done. It is COMPLETELY possible to do something for God by doing something for my boss. God made me for a purpose; He made me for a lifetime filled with tasks and accomplishments according to His plan. And believe it or not, He made me for a lifetime filled with mistakes and mishaps and blunders in mind too because He knew in His infinite wisdom that those mistakes, mishaps and blunders would lead me to where I needed to be and would put me in the right frame of mind and heart for when I got there too.

I have wanted nothing more than to be a teacher my entire life. It was a longing that started in Kindergarten and has never gone away. It’s who I am. It’s who I was made to be. God put that in me for a reason… He wanted me to be a teacher! Does that mean that my work as a teacher is any less important and critical for the Kingdom of God than that of a preacher? I used to think that it did, I was wrong. God made me to teach and if I’m not teaching then I’m not fulfilling the role God created me to fill. Just like if a preacher isn’t preaching they aren’t fulfilling the role God created them to fill – leaving that role, and all its duties, empty.

God created you with a dream deep in your soul, something that you long to do. You may not get paid to do that thing, and you may not get to do it all the time, but if you’re never doing it, then you’re not doing what God made you to do. The world NEEDS for you to do that thing you were created to do. When God planned it, He had you in mind. Think about that for a while. There are things in this world that you are the only one who can do them completely according to the way God planned them.

Things done for the Lord are never wasted. Turn your dream into a goal and go for it!

Categories: 365 Life, Nehemiah, Season 3 | Leave a comment

Don’t Give Up!

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Tamar


Nehemiah 5:1-8:18

“Ezra read out of the book of the law of God every day, from the first day to the last.” Nehemiah 8:18

For those of you who are reading through the Bible this year, I know that picking that big ole’ book up every day can begin to get burdensome; especially if you’re currently in a part that’s not quite as exciting as some of the others. Don’t give up! You CAN do this!!!

Galatians 6:9 says, “So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” (Emphasis mine)

Categories: 365 Life, Nehemiah, Season 3 | Leave a comment

Just Read

Posted on February 10, 2015 by Tamar


Nehemiah 1:1-4:23

Today is Tuesday and our first book for is Tuesday’s with Morrie! So let’s make today a Tuesday with Morrie reading day! 😀 Happy Reading my friends!!!!

Categories: 365 Life, Nehemiah, Season 3, Writing Through the Bible in a Year | Leave a comment

#LikeaGirl

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Tamar


Nahum 1:1-3:19

“Look, your troops are women among you;” Nahum 3:13

Did any of the rest of you see the Always commercial during the Super Bowl?

While watching it I cried because it made me realize I had lost the faith in myself that those little girls have. GOD made me a woman. He didn’t make woman to be less than man, that was part of the curse.

In Genesis chapter 2 God makes woman from man’s side. She is bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh! She is made from HIM – they are carbon copies of one another with a few… convenient differences. She has been made to be his helper and his mate; yes different, but equal.

Then that stupid snake came along and convinces both the Man and the Woman to turn everything over to him and he turns everything upside down. God comes along and doles out the consequences of their actions. To the woman He says, “Your desire will be for your husband, yet he will dominate you.” (verse 16) It’s at this very moment where woman becomes unequal to man.

Years and years and years go by and woman is still viewed as inferior to man. Then Jesus came along and gave the most important news of all time to A WOMAN!!!

The entire Christian faith rests on one moment in time, the moment Jesus rose from the dead. Without that moment all of our religion would be null and void because Jesus wouldn’t be who He had claimed to be – the Son of God. And in that moment of victory over the grave He appeared first to a woman, not a man. And what was it He first called her? He called her “woman”. He wanted to make sure that everyone knew that this one who had searched for Him with her whole heart and had found Him was a woman. I feel like this was God’s way of confirming the redemption of the daughters of the first woman from the curse of woman. Mary had been tormented with seven demons, the number of completion. She had been completely tormented by Satan, the serpent from the Garden, and Jesus saved her completely. And it is to this once cursed and tormented woman that Jesus appears first and commands, “go to My brothers and tell them that I am ascending to My Father and your Father – to My God and your God.” (John 20:17)

If Jesus, the Son of God, the Risen Lord didn’t want women in evangelic positions in His Kingdom, why on Earth would He have told her to evangelize His brothers? According to Galatians 3:28, “There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” We are all ONE in Christ Jesus. There is no distinction between male or female we are equal once more!

Categories: 365 Life, Nahum, Sheridan Reporter | Leave a comment

Sunday SHMILY

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Tamar

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Micah 5:1-7:20
“Do not rejoice over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will stand up; though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.” Micah 7:8

Well folks, it’s that time again! Sunday SHMILY! 😀 (SHMILY=See How Much I Love You)
Here are my pics from this week.

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I know I’ve already shared this photo with you, but I just HAD to include it in my SHMILY post. He loves me enough to put me through 9 months of… well, there are no real words concise enough to describe what these last 9 months were. I KNOW that part of that time was spent to make sure I completely understood the importance and magnitude of what would come next. THIS is what came next, the job I’d been dreaming of! This week was my first week back in the classroom and I could not be happier about it!

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The student – faculty basketball game at my first homecoming pep session at Sheridan! 😀 (a faculty member tore his Achilles tendon and is having surgery this week and could use some prayers too.)

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Yup. If you look closely (on the top shelf) those are two of my books available in Capstone Bookstore in Northview Church in Carmel! 😀

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A heart chicken nugget at lunch.

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I unearthed a cute little smile after I cleaned the kitchen table off.

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My daughter is a genius! I told her to rinse the grapes off and then let the water drip off of them for awhile. I was busy putting groceries away and didn’t notice what she had done for quite awhile. I turned around and saw that she had hung the bag over the faucet so it could drip. So smart! I have never thought to do that in all the years of cleaning grapes so I had to share!

Categories: 365 Life, Micah, Season 3, SHMILY! | Leave a comment

Skull Place

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Tamar


Matthew 27:24-28:20

“When they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Skull Place),” Matthew 27:33

Some of you are really gonna dig this.

Jesus was crucified on a hill named Skull Place. It was on this hill that through His death He conquered the greatest Enemy mankind has ever faced.

Jesus was known throughout both the New and Old Testaments as the Son of David.

Are you ready for this? If you flip back to 1 Samuel 17 you’ll find the epic fight between David and the biggest enemy he had faced up to that point in his life. The guy was like 9 feet tall, seriously, and probably had the most rippling muscles around. And there stood scrawny little shepherd boy David with his sling and his rock. Yet it wasn’t David that was outmatched, it was Goliath! He completely underestimated what David could do to him. With his first shot David slung that smooth stone from the river and nailed Goliath right in the forehead bringing him down to his level. Then with Goliath’s own sword David cut off Goliath’s head and according to 1 Samuel 17:54, “David took Goliath’s head and brought it to JERUSALEM.”

Now, while there is no proof in the Bible, there are rabbinical writings that state that David buried Goliath’s head just outside of Jerusalem. Perhaps in a hill they named, the Skull Place, aka Golgotha!!!!!

In Genesis 3:15, when God curses the snake for deceiving Eve He tells the serpent that while he may bite her child’s heel, her child (Jesus) will crush the serpent’s head!

My friend is that not precisely what Jesus did on the cross? He removed the fear and sting of DEATH from us! Forever! While Satan stood there watching Jesus die on the cross, he must have thought of how outmatched Jesus was. Satan underestimated the power of the Son of David. There Jesus was, literally standing on Goliath’s head conquering ALL the sin of the world with one strike to its forehead, it all came tumbling down. And Satan fell, like lightning, defeated.

Utterly defeated.

Hallelujah!

Categories: 365 Life, Matthew, Season 3 | Leave a comment

Lavish Love

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Tamar


Matthew 25:31-27:23

“Why this waste?” Matthew 26:8

Every time I read this section I cringe. Jesus and His followers are all reclining to dinner at a leper’s house and this woman comes in with a bottle of EXPENSIVE perfume and starts pouring it all over Jesus’ body. It’s a beautiful gesture of love and appreciation toward the Son of God. And yet the other men at the table look at it and say, “Why this waste? This might have been sold for a great deal and given to the poor.”

WHAT????

He is the Son of God! He’s been walking around with you guys for the last three years constantly telling you about how He’s going to die for you and this honor paid upon Him is a WASTE? You’ve GOT to be kidding me!

And yet just this morning, while I was still laying in bed and avoiding opening my eyes and fully waking up, the Holy Spirit confronted me with my own “wasteful” thinking. This past weekend I cringed at spending $20 on a game for my son. Now, this wasn’t just any old game, it was THE game that he has been longing for, for a VERY long time. It’s the game that all the rest of his friends play and they play online with each other… and he didn’t have it. Now, the big reason he hasn’t had it was simply because we didn’t have all the equipment to play it so that he could connect with his friends.

Two weekends ago, I cringed at spending the great amount of money for the game system to play this game. Why did I cringe? Was it the money, or was it something else? That same amount of money could have purchased things that I wanted. Things that I would like to have, but certainly don’t need. It could have paid debts that I would like to see eradicated.

But then something happened yesterday, Gabe was able to meet up with one of his friends online after school and play this game for the first time. I kid you not, he was giggling like a little school girl. No, actually, the little school girl in our house doesn’t even giggle as much as he was! He was SO HAPPY. And his happiness made me happy. So very happy.

So then this morning as I lay in bed fighting consciousness everything came into focus, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” (Matthew 25:40) Jesus, plain as day, said it to me. “This gift you purchased your son, it was a gift to Me as well. It was NOT a waste. It brought MUCH joy to both him and his friends. That’s not wasteful, it’s love! Gifts are not love, they are a sign of love from those who give and receive love in that manner. It’s not a waste of money; it’s an abundance of love. And love spent on those you care about is NEVER a waste! Indulgence upon a fellow member of the Body of Christ is never wasted. Follow the direction of My Holy Spirit in how to spend your love, your time and your money and you will never go astray. I will not lead you into paths that will swallow you, though sometimes it may feel that way. Those paths are meant to strengthen and define you into who you are meant to be – made in My image. You are a cherished, Beloved Child of God – the One True King – He is the owner of ALL the sheep and ALL the cattle on ALL the hills… and He owns the hills too. You are His child in whom He is well pleased. He delights in your complete and total prosperity, you MUST believe that! If you, who are merely human, delight in giving good gifts to your children; then why is it so difficult for you to believe that your Father who is in Heaven would not also delight in giving good gifts to YOU as well? And you’ve got to know that I’m not just talking about spiritual gifts from a spiritual God. I delight in your joy and give you the things that bring you that joy. And as long as they don’t come between you and me, we’re good. But when that happens, well, then those things are no longer good for you because I am BEST for you; never forget that. Like a husband who loves to dote on his wife and children, I love to dote on YOU! Don’t be like the ill-dressed wedding guest and refuse My lavish love. I want to show you My love for YOU in wonderful ways today – let Me!

Categories: 365 Life, Matthew, Season 3 | Leave a comment

Oil and the Holy Spirit

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Tamar


Matthew 23:1-25:30

When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take oil with them. Matthew 25:3

This verse struck me. I’ve always read it at face value and never pondered any deeper than that, until today. The moment I laid eyes on it one word stuck out like a sore thumb; oil. Oil through the entire Old and New Testament is a symbol for the Holy Spirit. It’s why all the priests and prophets and kings were anointed with it. They wanted all of their leaders to be anointed with the Holy Spirit in order to properly lead them in the way that they should go, according to God’s will, so as not to evoke His wrath.

After the resurrection Jesus told His Disciples “not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. ‘This,’ He said, ‘is what you heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:4-5

They were not to leave that very spot until they too had been anointed with the Holy Spirit. While Jesus had given them the Great Commission to “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 They were not fully equipped to carry out that commission until they had been anointed or baptized with the Holy Spirit. Then Pentecost came.

“When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.” Acts 2:1-4

Tell me friend, what was it that the Virgins carried?

And what was it that the foolish ones forgot but the wise one brought with them?

And what is it that the priests, prophets and kings were anointed with?

And when oil is touched to a flame, what happens?

Oil burns! Oil, when placed inside a lamp and lit brings light to the entire area it is in. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit appeared as tongues of fire at the tops of their heads! Why? Because they had been anointed with the spiritual oil of the Holy Spirit and were now prepared to burn BRIGHTLY in this dark world. Which they DID!

My friend, today, I encourage you to pray this prayer and invite the Holy Spirit to come and fill you with His POWER and LIGHT in order to fully equip you to go and shine brightly in this dark world of ours.

morning prayer 4x6

Categories: 365 Life, Matthew, Season 3 | Leave a comment

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