“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it.“
Luke 14:28
We need to count the cost - Preparation is vital in these times that we are living. There is no room in the Kingdom of God for people who are just winging it... Just going for it, just taking a chance.
You know, I just watched a documentary yesterday about three men. One was Scott of the Antarctic, the other Ernest Shackleton, and the other one was Roald Amundsen a Norwegian. You know, Scott was a passionate man. He had a desire to be the first one to reach the South Pole, the Antarctic. The most unforgiving, treacherous continent on earth, the coldest place in the world. But you see, he did not prepare correctly... he got to the South Pole but at tremendous cost. On his way back he lost all his men, every single one of them died. They perished.
Shackleton was an extremely brave man. He got to within 100 kilometres of the South Pole but he had to turn back because he had not made sufficient preparation. He went back defeated because he did not prepare correctly. But that Norwegian, Roald Amundsen he was prepared. He went and he lived with the Eskimos first of all, the Inuit people and he learned their ways. He put on the correct dress, he took a very small group of men with him. These men were experts in their field, one was the Scandinavian skiing champion, another was an expert in working with dogs. They used huskies. They didn’t pull those sleds physically like the other men.
On his way to the South Pole Amundsen put deposits of supplies for the way back, that’s right - He got to the South Pole with hardly any effort and he got all his men right back. He was the first man in the world to conquer the South Pole. Folks, that wasn’t just luck. How can you define luck anyway, how can you define that word? That wasn’t just a lucky chance, no, no! He prepared himself.
You and I need to prepare ourselves better. Whether you are going to get married, going into business, or whether you want to be a professional sportsman, you need to prepare yourself. And most of all, we need to prepare for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to tell you, He is not coming soon... He is on His way!
We need to be prepared and we need to be ready for His coming. Have a wonderful Saturday!
God bless you and goodbye.
16/10/2021
Properly Prepared
October 16, 2021 • Angus Buchan • Luke 14:28
20/04/2024
April 20, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Revelation 3:8
I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Saturday morning, the 20th of April, 2024, and this is your friend Angus Buchan with a thought for today. We go to the Book of Revelation 3:8. Jesus says: “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” Oh my dear friend, the door is open, all we have to do is to walk through it. Do you remember the story of that sailing ship, maybe in the 1800’s. The huge sailing ship that was caught in a calm. Apparently, the sailors tell me that’s one of the most dangerous places to be, when you’re in the middle of the ocean and there’s no wind and you’re on a sailing ship. This ship had been standing for about three weeks, the sailors were starting to really panic because they had no fresh drinking water, and all of a sudden they saw a ship on the horizon. They sent a message saying, “We are dying of thirst please help us with water, fresh water.” The other ship sent back a signal to say, “Let your bucket down. There is fresh water under you.” They were about 80 miles out from the mouth of the mighty Amazon River in South America, which pushes fresh water right out into the sea! Today, the Lord is saying to you and me, “Just let your bucket down because there is plenty fresh water right beneath you.” You just have to take it. The door is open; walk through it. When the door closes, you don’t go through it, but when the door is opened by faith, and the little strength you have goes straight through that door, the Lord has something very special for you on the other side. Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day, Goodbye.
19/04/2024
April 19, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Isaiah 58:6–7
I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Friday morning, the 19th of April, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Isaiah 58:6-7: “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?” (your own family) This is the chapter on fasting, going without food. Now, to fast is very important. Jesus did it for 40 days and 40 nights in the desert. It is a very good practice. It brings the body into subjection with the spirit. It is necessary for each believer to do. However, the Lord says, ”but this is the kind of fasting that I have chosen.” We have got to be doers of God’s Holy Word. We have got to lift the burdens of the oppressed, we have got to share our food with the hungry, we have got to give a bed to those who have no roof over their heads, and we must not hide ourselves from our own families. Jesus says, if we do this, then the light will break forth like the morning, and healing will spring up speedily and then the glory of the Lord will be our portion, and then when we call on the Lord, He will answer us and He will say, “Here I am.” Today, we need to be doers of God’s word. I remember my dear old dad just after I had led him to the Lord. I said to him, “Dad, we have got to fast as well now that we are Christians, and that old Scotsman looked at me with those blue eyes of his, and he said, “Laddie, fast?” He said, “I fasted for three and a half years.” You see, he was a prisoner of war in the Second World War. He was imprisoned in Germany and Italy. That didn’t impress him so much as when he saw us taking care of the poor and the needy. That impacted my dad’s life more than anything else. Today, yes, we must fast but let us fast as the Lord says - by taking care of those who are hurting, those who are lonely and those who are fearful. Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day, Goodbye.
18/04/2024
April 18, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Psalm 27:1, Matthew 28:20, Philippians 4:13
I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 18th of April, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in Psalm 27:1: The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Then we go to Matthew, the Gospel of Matthew 28:20, the last verse in the Book of Matthew: “…I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” You and I can never be alone. Jesus has promised us that He will be with us always. We must always add His resources to our own when we are making calculations. That is what F B Meyer says, and I agree. When you sit down and work out your budget, when you are working on your spreadsheet and making plans for your future, always put it next to it with a little + sign, “But God.” So when people come to you and say it will never happen, it is too big, just answer two words, “But God!” Remember, we can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13) William Carey, who translated the Bible from English into many different Indian languages, was just a cobbler. People mocked him and said, “You are a shoemaker, aren’t you?” He said, “No, I can’t make shoes, I can only repair them.” Yet God used that man because He brought God into all his calculations. He became the Chief Interpreter to the High Court of Delhi. A country boy, just a man who could repair shoes, why? Because he added God into all his calculations. He added God into all his resources. He said, “Attempt great things for God and expect great things from God.” Today, remember to add “But God” to all your calculations, and you will be surprised at what things you can do for the King. Jesus bless you and have a lovely day. God bless you and goodbye.