Brenda Walsh Ministries

Have You Lost the Vision?
The Bible says in Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” In other words, when people lose sight of God, they begin to sink as if in quicksand. They become reckless and lose their willpower over sin. Their prayer life fades away, and selfishness motivates even the smallest of life’s choices and decisions. Some people consider themselves to have principles, but those consumed with idealistic principles rarely do anything or rise to a high spiritual plane. There’s a big difference between holding on to a principle and having a vision of who God is and following His divine instruction. When you lose sight of God’s vision, it is not only a very dark and lonely place to be, but you will “perish.” On the other hand, wherever there is “vision,” there is honesty, integrity, peace, and happiness, because having a vision of God and doing “His will” is the only way to experience real joy on earth, and it is also the only way to have eternal life with Jesus! Take time today to examine your spiritual life - have you lost the vision? Are you a person who has “principles” but is just going through the motions of being a Christian? If so, reach out and grasp God’s outstretched hand, hold tight and never lose sight of “the vision,” keeping God’s law… and you’ll experience true happiness and joy.” Text: Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 11:1, 2 Corinthians 10:5, John 14:15

Spirit is Willing, Flesh is Weak
When you become a Christian, you make a commitment to live a life fully surrendered to God. But no matter how hard you try, there may be times when your spirit is willing, but your flesh is weak. You “want” to do the right thing, but the second you take your eyes off Jesus, you fall, and you end up in Satan’s trap. The apostle Paul struggled with this as he stated in Romans 7:15-17: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.” If you make a mistake or do something wrong, God doesn’t want you to be filled with guilt, darkness, and hopelessness. Because He loves you, He gave His life for your transgressions and thus provided freedom from sin. Romans 8:1-3 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.” There is only one way to avoid Satan’s pitfalls, and that is to keep your eyes focused on Jesus Christ, your Savior, as advised in Mark 14:38: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Text: James 1:13-18, Luke 22:40, Matthew 6:13, 1 Corinthians 10:13

Ready and Waiting
Do you remember how scary it was when you first learned to ride a bike? Once your training wheels were removed, your confidence level hit a new low the minute you realized how quickly you could fall. But when Dad or Mom was running behind you with a firm hand on your bike seat, all of a sudden you became a lot more confident and that fear of falling disappeared, giving you time to learn how to balance on two wheels. So it is with God. As long as He has you firmly in His grasp all fear goes away, because you know God has your back! He’s not going to let you fall! Proverbs 3:5 tells us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” If you are depending solely on yourself, you will fall every time! But Jesus never fails! He is 100% reliable 100% of the time! When you’re trusting in Jesus, there’s no need to fear because He’s right there beside you, ready and waiting to catch you before you fall! Text: Deuteronomy 31:6, Psalm 56:3-4, John 14:27

Oneness With Christ
There are Christians who, although they “love” God, don’t fully understand the concept of what it means to have “oneness” with Him. To experience a “oneness” means having a trusting relationship with Him in which you have committed your heart and life and accept Him as your Lord and Savior. In doing so, you are also obedient to Him, as He has commanded, In John 14:15, Jesus says, "If you love me, keep my commandments." Many people profess to be "Best Friends" with God while at the same time are living a life of sin - not willing to give up their sinful habits that go against God's Holy Word. But the truth is, you simply can not live a life in "oneness with Christ" and at the same time enjoy the sinful pleasures of this world! God wants you to make a choice. You can't have a leg in two different canoes! When you pray, "Please forgive me for my sins, and come into my heart and my life," Jesus hears and answers your sincere prayer, and you become "one with Him." The more time you spend in His presence, the closer you will become and the more you will know His voice. Pray for understanding when you read the Bible, and God will give you wisdom to discern what He is telling you. And the more you study, worship, and praise Jesus, the stronger your relationship with Him will be. Some Christians get discouraged because they don't "feel" God's presence, yet how could this even be possible when they rarely pray, go to church, or minister to others, and in reality, are spiritually dead! God wants you to put your faith in action and actively, prayerfully, and obediently . . . serve Him! It is then you’ll experience the joy of “oneness with Christ.” Text: 1 John 4:12, Proverbs 16:9, Hosea 2:19, Zephaniah 3:17

No Need to Worry
Have you ever wondered why Christians worry just like unbelievers do? There is so much heartache in this world and so many things that “could” go wrong that it’s human nature to worry and fret about things that are not under your control. Sometimes you may feel like it’s your job to worry or that worrying shows your love, even if you are powerless to help. But there IS someone who “can” help, and He is just a prayer away! When loved ones face an uncertain future, the rent is due, you lost your job, the doctor gave a grim diagnosis, and a million other things people worry about - it’s important to remember that your Best Friend Jesus has the cure for “worry weight.” Allow Him to be your personal trainer, and you’ll lose every pound of worry, for it will just melt away! No need to pace the floors or bite your nails - God’s got you covered! Psalm 55:22 says, “Give your burdens to the Lord, and He will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.” And that’s a promise you can claim for your own. The next time you find yourself putting on worry weight, reach out to Jesus and allow Him to relieve you of your burdens. Turn worry . . . into prayers! It’s not only 100% effective, but it is faith-building too! When you lean on Jesus, there is no need for worry, because you can be 100% sure that God always has your back! Text: 1 Peter 5:7, Philippians 4:5-7, Romans 8:28, Luke 12:22-31

Keep Holding On
No matter how heartbroken and discouraged you feel from losing a loved one, don’t give up on “living.” Instead, hold on to Jesus and keep on holding on! He will give you the strength you need to face each day and heal your broken heart. It is painful to lose a loved one, and the more you love, the deeper the pain. That old expression, “It is better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all,” is really only understood by a person who has lost someone they dearly loved, for when you love that much, you wouldn’t trade the time you had with that person for anything! You would go through the pain all over again just to experience that closeness with them, even if it was but for a short time. You might say that love comes with a pretty hefty price tag! It takes time to adjust to “loss” and finding your “new normal.” When you lose someone you love deeply, there is no such thing as getting over it. You don’t “forget,” but with God’s help, you learn to accept the loss, cope with the pain, live with the memories, and once again find the joy in living! God doesn’t expect you to bear loss alone. He wants you to lean on Him for strength, support, and love, so hold on tight to God’s hand… and keep holding on! Text: 2 Corinthians 1:4, Isaiah 40:31, Lamentations 3:21-24

Why Lord, Why?
Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t intervene in our lives “before” life becomes a crisis? Why doesn’t He just send a check in the mail instead of waiting until the cupboards are bare and the eviction notice is given? Better yet, why doesn’t He just stamp out world poverty and hunger? Why does He allow the cancer to spread and leave little children without a mother? Why does He wait so long to answer prayers, stamp out corruption, end child abuse, and a million other "why’s!" And the answer is - We live in a sinful world, and until Jesus comes, there will be horrible things that will take place. God doesn’t force us to serve Him, nor does He “make” us live a godly life. God gave each of us the gift of choice, and we pay the heavy consequences of sin when we make bad choices! But let’s be very clear: it’s not God’s will that we suffer or have a moment of pain. Quite the contrary, for the Bible says in John 10:10 that “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Because of God's amazing love for us, when we turn our lives over to Him, He is able to pick up the broken pieces of our lives and can turn evil into good! We don’t have much longer here in this wicked world of pain – for Jesus is coming soon! Trust God completely, stay even closer to Him than ever before and keep your eyes on the heavenly goal! Text: Luke 18:7, Joshua 24:15, Revelation 21:4

Get Some Sleep
If you are tossing and turning and sleep won’t come because you just can’t quit thinking about the mess you’re in, stop worrying because God has you covered. No matter what problem you are facing, God already has it figured out! The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:7, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.” And in Philippians 4:5-7, we’re told, “The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” It doesn’t matter whether you are facing financial ruin, the love of your life just left you, or you are facing a death sentence; God has your back! You can trust Him to do the right thing for you, because He always has your best interests at heart. Claim Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those that love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” And once you give your troubles to God, roll over and get some sleep! Text: Philippians 4:19, Luke 12:22-31, Proverbs 16:3, Matthew 11:28-30

Nothing is More Important
Children are a gift from God, but raising them is one of the most challenging jobs in the world. Once that little bundle is placed in your arms, there is a tremendous amount of love and joy - but also a bit of fear knowing that you are 100% responsible for this helpless baby! It takes a tremendous amount of prayer to know exactly what to do - especially in this sinful world we live in today. The Bible says in Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” That is a wonderful promise that parents can claim! It can be a frustrating time just trying to figure out what to do - whether to say “yes” or “no.” And then there’s the whole issue of how to discipline. Scripture says in Ephesians 6:4, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” It’s important to discipline with “love” and pray for wisdom each and every day. Remember that God loves your child even more than you do - and the most important goal for any parent isn’t to “spoil them rotten,” but rather to prepare their child for eternity. Nothing is more important! Text: Psalm 127:3, Proverbs 3:27, Joshua 24:15, James 1:5

Toxic Relationships
Everyone needs friends in their life to feel happy, loved, and fulfilled. While some people have no problem making friends, others struggle forming meaningful relationships. Choosing the right friends is critically important because those close to you will influence you emotionally and, more importantly, spiritually. They have the ability to either strengthen your walk with God or drive you further away. The Bible says in Proverbs 12:26, “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Before allowing someone new into your heart and embracing a friendship, evaluate the time spent with them to determine if they are someone who is truly a godly influence. Are they authentic, genuine, and a person who reflects Christ’s character? Many times, you put years of energy into a friendship, never realizing that they weren’t a genuine friend and have actually been undermining you the whole time. One way to recognize toxic relationships is to ask yourself some basic, honest questions. Does this person constantly criticize you, put you down, or give sarcastic remarks, destroying your confidence and self-worth? Is everything always your fault and never theirs? Is everything you say or do “wrong,” and their opinion is the only one that matters? Do they make you feel bad about yourself? Are they dismissive, cutting you off when you’re talking? If your relationship ticks off these boxes, then it’s quite likely a toxic relationship, and you’ll need to spend time in prayer for Holy Spirit guidance to decide if this person should remain in your life. The fact is that you can’t force someone to love or respect you. You can’t demand an apology–for unless it is sincere from the heart, it is meaningless. Bottom line–you can’t make someone act or think differently. Only God can change hearts. Anyone who is putting you down, making you feel bad about yourself, or trying to destroy you doesn’t love you! Facing the reality that you have a toxic friend is heartbreaking, but there comes a time when you have to decide whether to turn the page or close the book. Keeping toxic friendships will only bring you down and keep you from being the person God wants you to be. Don’t be discouraged. The life in front of you is much more important than the life behind you. God wants you to have godly friends who will uplift and encourage you. Remove toxic relationships by first forgiving them for not being the friend you wanted them to be… and then move on without them. Text: Proverbs 13:20, Romans 12:9-10, Proverbs 18:24, Psalm 55:12-15