24/05/2024

Angus Buchan

24/05/2024

Self-Control

May 24, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Proverbs 16:32, Matthew 27:13–14

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Friday morning, the 24th of May, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in the Old Testament, in the Book of Proverbs 16:32:

“He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty,

And he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”

Wow! That is a powerful scripture. We need to exercise self-control. In other words, we cannot afford to lose the plot, as they say. You know, a moment of anger loses all your respect from other people. They just do not respect you at all. It is so sad when you see a grown man “throwing his toys”, as they say. And if we happen to be famous, or we happen to be rich, that has got nothing to do with it. I really want to say to you, some of the most wealthy people I have ever met, and famous, are normally very, very humble people.

If we lose the plot then we become totally unacceptable. Jesus loves to see a person who is in control of themselves. I always say to people, if you have got a short fuse, count to ten before you say something, and then you will probably never say it. Don’t throw your reputation away in a fit of anger. Now, the greatest example for you and me when it comes to self-control is our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you go to the word of God in Matthew 27:13-14, when Jesus was standing before Pontius Pilate, and this is what He said:

“Then Pilate said to Him, “Do You not hear how many things they testify against You?” But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.”

He couldn’t believe it! Pontius Pilate was trying to help Him. He said, “Speak up for Yourself” The Lord never said one word. I read something this morning, beautifully written by a man named Dean Stanley. He says, “More dear in the sight of God and His angels, than any other conquest, is the conquest of self, which each man with the help of Heaven, can secure for himself.”

Today, let’s go out and let’s make sure that we don’t cause people offence, we don’t cause our brother to stumble, and that we answer every accusation with a gentle answer, and then the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, will be very happy with us.

Have a wonderful day today.

God bless you and goodbye.

17/06/2024

June 17, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Matthew 3:8

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Monday morning, the 17th of June, 2024 and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to the Gospel of Mathew 3:8: ”Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,…” When we come to Christ, there has got to be a change in our lives. We cannot tell people we have become Christians, and yet we continue to live in our former lifestyle. We have to demonstrate new behaviour that proves a change of heart and a conscious decision to turn away from sin. People we know well should come up to us and ask us the question, ”What has happened to you?” And you look at yourself and you say, ”Why? I’m still wearing the same clothes.” “No, there’s something different happened to you. We see a peace in your heart. We see a joy. We see a love in your heart. You never had that before.” That’s when you can tell them you have had a change of lifestyle, and I want to tell you the people who will notice it first will be your very own family. When the men who have been at a Mighty Men Conference for a full weekend go back home and some of them get on their knees in front of their families and ask forgiveness for their lifestyles, and say, ”Things are going to change. I have been arrogant. I have been self-centred, and it’s going to change. I am going to start to live for my family.” We get letters sometimes, that makes you want to cry, from a little 10-year-old child, with that big handwriting saying, “Thank you for giving me a new daddy.” Now, we haven’t given that child anything; God has, but the child has seen the change in daddy’s life and we get a beautiful letter from a wife who says, “Thank you for what has happened to my husband over this weekend. The man that I fell in love with 20 years ago has come back home again this weekend.” That is what a truly repentant life must look like. It’s like the Government. We’ve just had elections in South Africa. The Government promised us many, many things. Now, they must deliver if there is true change to take place. Don’t just tell people that you love them, show them that you love them by your lifestyle. Prove it by living a changed life - no more swearing, no more drunkenness, no more self-centredness, but starting to live for Christ, and the fruit of that changed lifestyle will just come out of us, we don’t have to try and do it, it’s natural. Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day. Goodbye.

16/06/2024

June 16, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Matthew 2:14

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Sunday morning, it is the 16th of June, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. I want to start by wishing all fathers a very Happy Father’s Day. Dads, well done for looking after your families. We go straight to the Book of Matthew 2:14: “When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt,…” So often, dads get overlooked. Now you don’t hear much about Joseph, but I want to tell you, Joseph, the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus, our Saviour, had a very important job to do. First of all, the Lord told him to name the baby, “Jesus.” Yes, that is right, Joseph actually named our Master, “Jesus.” He is the one that put the food on the table, he looked after that young maiden and her baby, and was a carpenter by trade. He was very sensitive to the Holy Spirit. He was warned in the middle of the night. The Bible says, he arose and took the young child, Baby Jesus, and Mary, the mother and he departed for Africa. That’s right, I am talking about Egypt. He stayed there until the Angel of the Lord said, “You can now return to Israel.” He was a good father, he protected his wife and his child. He was sensitive, caring, responsible, obedient and protective. It reminds me, if you go into the bush, to a game reserve, and you see a pride of lions. Often, you will see the male lion. He will be sitting under a tree by himself, and all the cubs and the young lionesses will be playing together on their own, and it will almost look like he is uninterested, but he has a vital role to play. The hunting gets done by the females, and when they make a kill, who gets the first share? Yes, the male, he comes in and he eats. He has to be strong. I want to tell you something, without a male lion in a pride, that pride is vulnerable to the hyenas or to other lions. He has a vital role to play but you don’t always notice it. The same thing happens with dads. They sit there quietly and the children say, “Why isn’t dad participating?” Maybe dad is thinking about how he is going to put food on the table or about the future of his family. Please moms, children, give dads plenty of love and respect today. He is doing a great job. He is the father of your children, mother and he is your dad, and you have got his surname. Just love him and treat him with lots of TLC today. Jesus bless you and goodbye.

15/06/2024

June 15, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Philippians 4:6, Matthew 7:7

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Saturday morning, the 15th of June, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go straight to the Book of Philippians 4:6, and I am reading it out of the Amplified Version: “Do not be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything [every circumstance and situation] by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your [specific] requests known to God.” Then we go to Matthew 7:7 (AMP): “Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking and you will find; knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.” I am speaking this morning about prayer. You know, Jesus prayed more than anything else. He always prayed without ceasing and He asks you and I to do the same. I got a message on my phone yesterday to say that the Kouga Dam, outside Gqeberha, is overflowing at seven cumecs at the moment, spilling over the wall. God answers prayer. I remember like yesterday, thousands of us, standing at the base of that mighty dam wall, and I think there was less than 12%, that’s just a little mudhole in the middle of that dam. There was nothing, thousands of us prayed, and we continued praying at Jeffries Bay, at the Mighty Men Conference, and look what is happening! We are going into winter. It is winter in the Eastern Cape, and the dam is overflowing seven cumecs at the moment. I want to pray for you today: Heavenly Father, I pray for my friend, listening to this message. I pray Lord, for those who are anxious, depressed, fearful and filled with anxiety. Lord, I pray today that they will lift up their eyes and see that Jesus Christ is seated on His throne in Heaven and He is waiting to hear our requests, our petitions. Lord, if we don’t pray, how can He answer? Lord, please show us and teach us to pray because when men pray, God moves, and I thank You, Lord, for the evidence that we see in this dam which is overflowing as I record this message. In Jesus’ name! Amen. God bless you and keep on praying, Goodbye.