And a very good morning to you!
It is the 21st of January, Friday morning, and it is the year 2022, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today!
“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:20
Now I looked up the Oxford Dictionary the definition of the word ambassador: “A diplomat sent by a state as its permanent representative in a foreign country.”
Now we have been called to represent Jesus and for me the ideal example of an excellent ambassador was none other than John the Baptist. If we look at John 1:20, they asked him,
“Are you the one? Are you the Christ?”
He confessed. ”I am not the Christ.”
He was the bravest of men, he was so outspoken and he was a godly man but he was also very humble at the same time. He was afraid of no-one. He stuck his bony finger out and told King Herod, “You are an adulterer.” And that eventually cost him his head... They cut his head off because of that.
“I am not even worthy to loose His sandal strap.” He was talking about Jesus. John 1:27
John the Baptist never touched God’s glory. There is a word for young men and women - be careful you don’t draw people to yourself, draw people to God. What are the credentials of an ambassador of Christ?
Well, the fruit of the Spirit:
“...love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
Galatians 5:22 - 23
You know folks, often we get called to a drought-ravaged area, to communities, sometimes even provinces or cities and we are asked to come and to please pray for rain. Sometimes, we get sarcastic comments, “Oh, so you think you are the rain-makers do you?” I don’t know, but our reply is always, “No, we are not the rainmakers, we are the Rainmaker’s sons and daughters.”
And then of course the Lord always comes through for us when we pray. The rain comes and the critics just disappear into the mist.
Be a good ambassador for Jesus today.
God bless you and goodbye.
21/01/2022
A Good Ambassador
January 21, 2022 • Angus Buchan • 2 Corinthians 5:20, John 1:20, John 1:27, Galatians 5:22–23
23/04/2024
April 23, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Revelation 3:16, Matthew 26:75, Mark 16:7
I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 23rd of April, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Revelation 3:16: “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” Wow! Very strong words from the Lord Jesus Christ. It is better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all. We need to call sin by it’s name. We need to stand up and be counted. In order for sin to triumph, all that good people need to do, is nothing. To turn your back on the enemy is the most dangerous thing to ever do. Ask any boxer and he will tell you. When he turns away from his opponent, he is as good as dead. We have got to face our enemies and face them head on. A very famous statesman once said, “A man is not defeated by his opponents, but by himself.” Peter, the big fisherman, would have understood exactly what that saying meant, when he denied the Lord Jesus Christ three times, after having told Him that he would die for Him. We can find that in Matthew 26:75. He went out and he wept bitterly. But praise God that our Lord Jesus is the God of the second chance. Yes, Peter got a second chance. You will find that in Mark 16:7. The angel told them: “But go, tell His disciples—and Peter (isn’t that beautiful?)— that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” And Peter - thats why I love the Lord so much. He knew that Peter would never go because he had denied his Master, so the angel said, “Tell the disciples—and Peter.” That is so precious. If we look at the word of God, all the patriarchs, the men that God chose, men like Moses who was a murderer, remember he killed the slave-driver, but he got a second chance at the burning bush; King David, he did a terrible thing. Nathan, the prophet came and told him, but he got a second chance; Saul of Tarsus was persecuting Christians but he got a second chance, and became Paul the Apostle. Today, ask Him and He will give you a second chance. Jesus bless you and goodbye.
22/04/2024
April 22, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Revelation 3:10, Galatians 6:9
I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Monday morning, the 22nd of April, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go straight to the Book of Revelation 3:10: “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” We have to remain steadfast. We have to be immovable, just like the Rock of Gibraltar. We must not give up. We cannot afford to blow hot and then blow cold. Galatians 6:9 - if we do not grow weary in doing good. That rebellious child, that exam that you are struggling with, that relationship - do not quit. That is the one thing that farming has taught me, is never to give up. Keep persevering with that crop of corn which is giving you so much trouble, that sick animal, keep on persevering. It will come through, because Jesus will see us through. I want to ask you a question. Have you ever watched that little dung beetle? They call it a “scarab beetle”. Have you ever sat and watched it? He is a most incredible little creature. They say that he is the most powerful insect in the world. The ancient Egyptians revered that little dung beetle so much, they even carved him on the stones in the pyramids. He is a representative of eternal life to them. Now, listen to this - it can move one thousand, one hundred and forty one times it’s own body weight! It’s the equivalent of a human dragging six double-decker buses along the road. Oh, my dear friend, we must not quit. We must persevere like that little dung beetle. Have you noticed that he is going one way and not giving up for anybody? Respect him and let him teach you something about perseverance. Jesus Christ created that dung beetle, and by the way, He created you and me, and He created us not to give up but to get to our destination. The Lord will help us! Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day, Goodbye.
21/04/2024
April 21, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Isaiah 59:19, Exodus 14:13–14
I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Sunday morning, the 21st of April, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Isaiah 59:19: “When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him”. Then we go to the Book of Exodus 14:13-14: “And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” Today, maybe you are up against a real fight. Maybe it’s at school, maybe it’s at university, maybe it’s in the workplace, maybe it’s a physical ailment, maybe it’s a family dispute, and you don’t know what to do. The Lord says, “Stand still. Stand still, the battle belongs to the Lord alone.” He will fight for you and I. I love the African bush, being an African myself. The one thing I love to see is a pride of lions. A lot of females and young cubs, and then you will find one big, black-maned male lion just lying quietly by himself underneath the tree. You might think all he has to do is eat the meat, and the females have to go and catch the game, and look after the cubs. That is quite true actually, but he has a specific role to play. When the enemy comes in, like a group of hyenas, or maybe lions from a different pride, and they come to trouble the pride, what happens? Oh yes - the big boy stands up and he starts to growl, and he moves in and the enemy moves out! Today remember, you have got the Lion of Judah. He is standing by and He is watching the situation. All you have got to do is call unto Him and He will answer you. Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day, Goodbye.