19/04/2024

Angus Buchan

19/04/2024

Fasting

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.

02/05/2024

May 2, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Isaiah 62:2, Hosea 1:10, Luke 15:31

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 2nd of May, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Isaiah 62:2: “You shall be called by a new name,…” Then we go forward to the Book of Hosea 1:10: ‘You are sons of the living God.’ Sons of the living God, wow! Very personal and so intimate. A son has access to anything a father has. A son can go into the Holy of Holies. Oh yes, visitors have to wait outside until they are invited in. You and I need to understand something today - we are not hirelings. We are sons and daughters of the living God. We are not working for wages, a hireling works for his wages. He carries a watch on his wrist and whether it is 5 o’clock or whatever the time might be, he knocks off. It doesn’t matter what is happening on the farm or in the business. He is only working for a wage. He is not working for his inheritance. That’s the difference, but a son is working for his inheritance. He doesn’t wear a watch, he doesn’t watch the time, he does his job. You know the story of the Prodigal Son? We are always pretty hard on the older brother. Remember he said to his dad, “So this prodigal son has come home, he has wasted all his money, and you have killed the fatted calf for him and you wouldn’t even give me a lamb, to have a party with my friends.” And his father said to him, listen carefully, Luke 15:31: “Son”, I get tears in my eyes: “Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.” Maybe today you are going through a hard time and you say, “Where are You, Lord? I am Your son”, or “Your daughter”, but you are going through a time of learning, a time of testing. When I was on the farm with my two boys, they would work harder than anybody else. Don’t ask them about that, they always exaggerate of course, it wasn’t really that bad! But you know, when the cattle broke out in the middle of the night and went into the maize crop, who had to get up out of their beds? Yes, the boys and me, and we had to put the cattle back. You can’t expect the staff to get up in the middle of the night because they are not paid for that. We have to go the extra mile. Now, when you are a son of God and the Lord has promised you that He has given you everything you need and more - when we go home, we are not going home to Heaven as strangers, we are going home to Heaven as sons and daughters of the living God. He is waiting for us. He wants to spoil us. Now, today, we need to man up as they say; we need to understand that the going is tough for the sons because He is preparing us for eternity because He loves us so much. So, son, daughter, go out today and take your inheritance. Jesus bless you and goodbye.

01/05/2024

May 1, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Habakkuk 3:18, Nehemiah 8:10, Isaiah 61:3

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is 1st of May, Wednesday morning, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Habakkuk 3:18: “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Then we go straight to Nehemiah 8:10. We all know that verse: “…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Now, you might say to me this morning, “What is there to be joyful about?” Well, let’s start with our salvation, because He has saved you and me from a terrible life of bondage to the devil. He has set us free! He has covered us with a robe of righteousness; He has hidden our shame; He has clothed us with garments of salvation. That’s right, yes, a new beginning. He has given you and me a brand new life. You know that scripture in Isaiah 61:3? He has given us a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Folks, this joy that the Lord is speaking to us about is not a feeling, it’s a fact. We don’t have to walk around with a big smile on our face all the time and be happy all the time. It’s a deep knowing that if we have to die today we are going home to be with Jesus, not because we are good people but because He is a Good God, and He loves us and we have acknowledged Him as our Lord and Saviour. It is a guarantee. For us to live is Christ and to die is but gain - that is what Paul, the Apostle said. I want to say to you today, it is the joy of the Lord. We need to praise God because when we praise Him, that is what takes that spirit of heaviness off us. Do you remember that song which the Gaither’s wrote, Bill and Gloria Gaither? It’s a song that has gone right around the world so many times. Early in the morning, on a Wednesday morning, there are men who get together in our little chapel on the farm, and we sing together, and this is one of the favourite songs that the boys love to sing, and I want you to sing it with me. It goes like this - Because He lives, that’s right, I can face tomorrow: Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone; And because I know, yes I know, He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives! Now come on, all together: Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone; And because I know, yes I know, He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives! Go out now and praise the Lord because He lives. God bless you and goodbye.

30/04/2024

April 30, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Hebrews 13:6, Isaiah 41:13

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 30th of April, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. “For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13 Then we go to the Book of Hebrews 13:6 in the New Testament. So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” A famous old preacher from way back said, “Don’t try to hold God’s hand, let Him hold yours. Let Him do the holding, and you do the trusting.” I think that is a beautiful reminder, the Lord has got hold of us. We don’t have to be concerned about that. You know, when you look at those trapeze artists in the circus, the one that we are all concentrating on is the flyer who goes through the air, doing somersaults, but we forget that the most important part of the act is actually the catcher. He is the big one with the strong arms who is flying backwards and forwards on the actual swing, and he catches the flyer. If he misses, it’s a disaster. I want to say to you that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Catcher in our lives. Have you ever seen a fireman’s lift? Do you know what that is? It is when someone takes a hold of your arm and they hold your forearm with their hand and you hold their forearm with your hand. It’s a double lift, and if you are tired and you are weary (I have been there by the way) and eventually you can’t hang on anymore and you let go. You don’t fall because the fireman has got you by his hand. The fireman is nobody else but Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, and today you might feel like letting go. You might say, “Lord, I just can’t anymore.” He says, “Rest, relax, I’ve got you. Together, we can do this and we will.” Remember the Catcher, His name is Jesus Christ. He has never dropped anybody in His life before and He is not about to drop you. Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day, Goodbye.