Winning Him Without Words: Weekly Review

November 30, 2012 by Martha Bush

Picture this scene:

God: I have called you to the Mission Field.

Woman: Praise the Lord! I’ve always desired to go into the jungles of Africa and preach your word.

God: I have not called you to “go and preach” my Word in Africa or any other part of the world. I have called you to “stay and show” my love to your un-saved husband. You might say I have called you to be a home missionary.”

Woman: Okay, God, if you insist. But, where do I go to for training? My church sends missionaries to school for training before sending them into the field. And, not that I am hung up on money, but the church even gives them financial support.

God: May I break it to you gently: You won’t be getting either of those.

Woman: What do I get?

God: Quite simply – – the best of ME. As a missionary wife, you are my personal ambassador, and you will receive the best training and equipment any soldier ever had going into battle. You see, a soul is at stake, but my armor is your shield of protection against all attacks, and you will come through each battle in victory and not defeat.

As for the financial support – -your reward shall be great. Just like Esther, you have been brought into the Kingdom for such a time as this.

Woman: I want to know more about this armor.

Weekly Review

Monday: Beverly – Keep Your Armor On—You’re at War– -Beverly points out that when we get up each morning we are entering a battlefield

She directs us to Ephesians 6:12-17 that describes who the battle is with and what to do about it.

Who? For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and the powers and the principalities of the air.
What to do? Put the armor on the whole armor of God and stand.

Beverly points to the fact that our strength for the front line of battle comes from our commander, God. It is God who also provides our armor to wear in order to go into the battle with strength.

She challenges us to wake up each morning, prepare your heart, put on your armor, and stand ready and prepared to help lead your man to the commander by your example

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The question is: “What are the pieces of this armor that God tells us to use?” Jennifer, Donna, and Sarah describes each of the pieces.

Tuesday: Jennifer

The Belt of Truth – – The enemy will try to deceive us by telling us lies disguised as truth. We can stand firm against Satan’s sneaky attacks by having the Belt of Truth around our waists. With God’s Truth, we can rebuke the devil’s lies, schemes, and manipulations. We can turn to Jesus, who is Truth, when the devil tries to deceive us.

The Breastplate of Righteousness – – Satan wants to attack us where we are most vulnerable – -in the heart where our emotions and sense of self-worth stem from. Protect your heart with the Breastplate of Righteousness which will never cause you to doubt God’s unending love for you and offer a barrier from despair and discouragement that Satan will try to use against you.

The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace – – Our foundation is Jesus Christ and the Good News of His saving grace. The shoes that God fits us with will allow us to move when the time is right to share this Good News with others.

The Shield of Faith – -God’s Shield of Faith will enable us to see past our current circumstances and difficulties to our ultimate victory.

Wednesday: Donna

Helmet of Salvation
Sword of the Spirit

Our thoughts can be a real battle. A thought creeps in, and one thought leads to another, invading our mind, which leads to a pity party! Why am I in this marriage with an unsaved husband? Why do I have to be Christ’s representative to this man? I’m not equipped to handle this! I’m not spiritual enough, I’m not good enough!

The Helmet of Salvation and The Sword of the Spirit, God’s Word, is our protection against these doubts and lies that enter our minds.

Donna challenged us to think of our Bible heroes as our examples. When Daniel was told he must bow, he followed his God and put on his armor and went into the battle equipped. Esther fasted and prayed and said “if I perish, I perish” The ULTIMATE sacrifice was Christ when he went to the cross. He went into the garden to pray first and put on his armor. He told the Father, “not my will but yours be done” then he followed through with the plan of Salvation for us all!

Thursday: Sarah concluded the chapter with points on Basic Training

When someone questions your faith, your beliefs, or your God; you need to be ready to give a logical answer that explains the hope and love you exude for Christ. BUT…you have to do it in a courteous and respectful way without yelling and degrading them.
It is so important to arm yourself with the Word.
Dig deeper than what you hear in church or from your most knowledgeable Christian friend. Educate yourself on what is said between the pages of the good book.
The mission God has given you is to spread His message of love, hope and faith. To complete this mission, it is important to know scriptures and the meanings behind them. Then, once you have sharpened your sword with the Word, you are then able to present His Word logically and courteously.

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In conclusion, I’d like to review the assignments that each blogger gave us this week. May we see them as a way of judging ourselves in order to be better equipped for the call God has on our life – -Missionary Wife.

Beverly: Have you recognized any attacks from the enemy in your marriages lately? How did you take a “stand” against the enemy? What have you learned new that God has shown you from studying this chapter that will be of help in future attacks against the enemy?
Jennifer: Which piece of the armor do you have the most difficulty wearing? Which piece is the easiest for you?
Donna: What is holding you back from putting on the armor everyday?
Sarah: Share your life verse – -the one that you read and almost felt the earth shake when you were finished!

Friday: Discovery/Prayer – Father, God, I thank you for what you have taught us this week about your armor through Winning Him Without Words, as well as personal thoughts of Beverly, Jennifer, Donna, and Sarah. Help us to make it a part of our daily routine of putting it on as we began our day. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

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Above all, if you have not accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, and would like to have someone pray with you, please email us at GCH_Prayer@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com and one of our prayer team members will contact you.

Have a blessed day,

Martha

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: Armor, bible study, Dineen Miller, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, God, Jesus, Lynn Donovan, marriage, Martha Bush, online bible study, Spiritually Unequal Marriage, Unequal Marriage, Unequally Yoked, Wearing Armor, Wife, Winning Him Without Words, Women's Bible Study, Women's Online Bible Study

Winning Him Without Words: Are We the Sweet Aroma of Christ, Or the Stench of Death?

October 31, 2012 by Donna Day

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those perishing. To one we are the smell of death, to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?”

2 Corinthians 2:14-16

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I had an Aunt that I loved to hug when I was a child. She always smelled like Lillie’s of the Valley. Her aroma was always so sweet to me, not only because of her perfume, but she radiated love to me. She always showed love and attention to me when I was with her. She made me feel special and that I mattered to her. Her love was genuine and I could sense it, smell it and see it every time I was with her. I want to smell as sweet as my Aunt did to me.

I don’t know about you , but when I get ready for a special occasion, or a date with my husband, I take time to put on special lotions and perfume. This part of our chapter really spoke to me. I never once gave a thought, before now, how I “smell” as a christian! But God wants us to know we give off an aroma to our loved ones, be it death or life. WOW! It is really an eye opener to me to know that. I know that I can speak life or death to my husband, but what do I smell like when he is next to me??

Does he see me living out my faith as the aroma of Christ? Does he something in me that he longs for in the deepest depths of his soul? Or does he see an ugly example that turns him off?

I agree with Dineen when she says she gets excited because the verse uses the present tense of the verb, “those who are being saved”. I love that because it gives us hope that God’s work in our spouse, or loved one, is NOT done. It is an ongoing process, continual. He hasn’t given up on them. As we pray for our spouses we can be assured that God is still working on them , even if we don’t see anything changed in them. On Page 89 Dineen says, “According to Paul, God may have put us where we are because we are to be a key factor to our spouse’s salvation. We may be one of the tools God is choosing specifically to use in bringing our loved ones to Him. God may have called us to this exact place at this exact time.” This just gets me so excited!! First that God would use me, just a wife, mother and grandmother, but I love God and I want my whole family to know and love Him. Second it excites me because I don’t ever have to give up, God is always working!! God has placed us in our loved ones lives for a purpose. That purpose is the privilege of showing them Christ! What an honor!

From now on I will pay close attention to the aroma I’m giving off, not only on special occasions or a date, but everyday life. Ask yourself, “Do I want to be the aroma of death, stinky, decaying, rotting, death? Or do I want to give off the sweet, loving, breathtaking aroma of Christ?” I choose Christ.

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Let’s Pray:

Lord I pray for myself and all the beautiful women involved in this study. Help us to give off your aroma to our spouses and loved ones everyday. Let them notice it and long for that aroma for themselves. Thank you so much for letting us be a part of your plan of salvation in their lives. Give us strength and life to pass along to them and bring it to fruition we pray. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Your assignment:

What kind of fragrance are you giving off to your spouse? Is it life giving or death? Share and tell us, if it’s the wrong one, How you plan to change it through Christ.

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For the “Winning Him Without Words” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: 2 Corinthians 2: 14-16, Aroma, Bible, bible study, christian, Donna Day, Fragrance, Girlfriends Coffee Hour, God, Husband, Jesus, marriage, Perfume, relationships, Smell, Wife

Winning Him Without Words: Bring on the Bedroom

October 17, 2012 by Donna Day

The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife’s body does not belong to her alone, but also to her husband. In the same way, the husbands body does not belong to him alone, but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent, and for a time, so you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 1 Cor 7:3-5

I’m just going to reiterate some of the things written in this part of our chapter:

* This verse, like Lynn says, is God’s perspective on intimacy in marriage. Intimacy is a gift from God, something that we share only with each other. Created by God for marriage.

* It is supposed to be a pleasurable thing for husband and wife.

*We need to make the effort.

Let’s face it when we got married all we wanted to do was make love, for the first few months that’s all we do! But then life gets in the way and intimacy goes on the back burner. We have children and jobs and we get tired after dealing with these things all day. This part of our marriage is important to both of us and we shouldn’t neglect it. That being said and so as not to re-write everything that was written in our study, I want to share with some practical things with you so you can enjoy and anticipate this vital part of your marriage, making it fun as you do!

The first thing I would have you do is pray! This is important because it puts things into a biblical mindset for you and also gets your heart in the right place.

When I first got married a friend of mine, who had been married for some time, gave me this advice that someone had given her when she married. Write down all the things that attracted you to your husband when you first met and married. It may not all be physical. Just all the good qualities and things that made your heart melt at the sight of him. Then go back and read it often and especially when you know it’s been awhile and you need to be reminded. Then think on those things!

Text him at work or call and leave a message of love for him on his phone. Sometimes I leave a little sticky note in his lunch box for him to find.

Buy a new negligee once in awhile and wear it on a night when it’s least expected and surprise him. I guarantee he will be in the mood!

Make reservations at a restaurant you both like and take him out on a date. Date nights are usually planned by us; so be as creative as you can. Dress to the nines!!

A picnic in the country or at a park you like to go to, just the two of you.

Fom Christi: There is a candle that I will suggest to you, also. It’s a Woodwick Candle. It actually has a wood wick, so when the wick is lit, it crackles while it burns, making it sound like a mini-fireplace!! 🙂 Use this candle, especially if you have children, as a signal to your spouse that you are interested in making love with him that night. BOTH of you can use this candle in this way! Light it earlier in the day, so it gives each other time to prep and get the kids taken care of, before that special time alone.

On a grander scale here are some things you can do that I have found are very nice, whether it’s your anniversary or a special occasion or just because:

I kidnapped my husband once. A week ahead of time I made reservations for dinner and a hotel in the town where my husband works. Then I had a friend drive me to his work and drop me off at his car. I was dressed in heels and his favorite dress and smelled wonderful! I looked GOOD!! When he came out to his car and found me there he was so shocked. I took over the wheel of the car and drove us to the hotel where he showered and changed ( I had packed a bag for him). We went to dinner and just enjoyed being together and the night!!! It was great fun for both of us!

We usually go somewhere for a couple days for our anniversary every year. It usually in our home state, so we don’t go too far, staying at a B&B. We find lots of unique places and it’s something we plan together months in advance and look forward to.

We also make sure to take a weeks vacation together, just the two of us every summer. We plan ahead and make it special by doing something we individually like together for a day. He likes sports, I like shopping. So we each get to enjoy it together. I can handle it for one day and so can he.

Every five years or so we attend a marriage seminar of some sort. It refreshes you and reminds you to think of your marriage as a priority, And they usually touch on the subject of intimacy too.

Let’ face it, day to day life is sometimes boring and we can let that leak into our sex life as well. Plan ahead and think of your husband. Anticipation is the key for us. God intended for us to be intimate, and it’s a very special part of our marriage. Let’s try to keep it alive and well. God says it is good and we should enjoy it!!!

If you are interested in more Date Night / Romance ideas, and you belong to our Facebook Discussion Group, please check the Files section of your group! There are a ton of great ideas in that section of our your group!

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Lets Pray:

God thank you for our spouses and our marriages. Help us to keep intimate with you and with each other. I pray that we would purpose to keep the intimate part of our marriage alive and well and honoring you. Remind us daily of our love for our husbands. Help us to be creative and loving in our planning for these times. Thank you lord of the gift of intimacy with our husband. In Jesus name-Amen.

Your assignment:

I have shared a few things that I have done to keep our love alive in our marriage. What things, without giving too much detail, can you say you’ve done or are planning to do to help this part of your marriage to stay alive and well? Maybe we can steal some of those ideas for ourselves!!!

Many Blessings,

Donna

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