27/09/2024

Angus Buchan

27/09/2024

Childlike Faith

September 27, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Matthew 18:1–4

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Friday morning, the 27th of September, 2024 and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in the Gospel of Matthew 18:1-4:

”At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven…”

Wow - childlike faith. Imagination, being able to dream! I’ve got two little grandchildren, one’s name is William, and his cousin’s name is Rebecca. William gets on his little bicycle and he rides over to see Rebecca. Rebecca stays in a little house close to us, and William is just over the road. Then they ask Gogo, that’s the Zulu name for granny, if they can make a tea party, and Gogo says “Of course”. So they set out sweets. They’ve got Coca-Cola. They have got every sweet thing you can think of, and then they invite Khulu, that’s me, to come and join them. You talk about a sugar rush! We are eating biscuits, drinking Coca-Cola, eating jelly babies, and it’s all make-believe, and they’re giving us food and drink. But do you know something? When I sit there it brings a tear to my eye. It is so refreshing to see their little imaginations going. They have got a little tea-set. They’ve got to pour the Coca-Cola into the little cups and then you’ve got to drink it and not laugh, you’ve got to be very serious! They are so generous, they keep giving you refills. They are so loving and so innocent but you know folks, they’ve got an imagination.

Now, just in case we look down on little children, Jesus says, unless we become like them, we’ll never see the Kingdom of Heaven. Have you ever heard of a man by the name of C S Lewis? Of course you have, probably the most famous contemporary Christian writer of all time, but you know C S Lewis wrote a book called, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He wrote another book called, Narnia. Now, unless you’ve got an imagination like my little grandchildren, you’ll never be able to understand that story, and yet it is a best seller. They’ve made movies about those two books, not to mention all the other books. He wasn’t childish. He was an Oxford professor and a Cambridge professor in the English language.

I want to tell you today, let’s keep it simple. Let’s be not childish but let’s be childlike.

Jesus bless you and have a good day.

Goodbye.

26/09/2024

September 26, 2024 • Angus Buchan • 2 Peter 3:4, 2 Peter 3:8, 2 Peter 3:9

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 26th of September, 2024 and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in 2 Peter 3:4: “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” Then we go to verse 8. Peter said: “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Maybe there are people that you know who tend to mock you a little bit and say: “This Jesus you are always talking about, when is He coming back because the Bible has been telling us for 2000 years that He is going to come like a thief in the night? But we have just heard from the word of God that for the Lord, a thousand years is as one day. So what is the reason then for His postponement? Why is He taking so long to come back? Well, it is a very simple answer - because our beloved Jesus, who loves you so much and loves your family and your loved ones, does not want one person to perish, to go to a lost eternity but He wants all to be saved. You can read that if you go down a little bit further to verse 9. The Lord says that He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. And that is the reason why believers are prepared to risk their lives if necessary, in order to see men and women meet with the Lord. I want to tell you something, and I am maybe going to get a bit emotional, please forgive me, but I am so proud of one of my grandsons. He is going with a team that is being led by one of my spiritual sons, and they are going to be walking up to 20 kilometres a day on narrow, mountain paths. Their sole purpose is to introduce lost souls to Jesus, so that none may perish. I want to say to you today, my dear friend, you and I, we need to look sharp. There are people that unless they are born again and are following Jesus, they are destined to die and go to a lost eternity, and that is why these young people are prepared to take time out, to take money out of their own pockets, pay their own airfares, put rucksacks on and walk for miles in order for one soul to come to Christ. Please pray for them. Jesus bless you and goodbye.

25/09/2024

September 25, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Luke 9:33

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Wednesday morning, the 25th of September, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to the Gospel of Luke 9:33. ”Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” First the mountain, and then the ministry. Jesus took the three men, the three disciples, Peter, James and John, up the Mount of Transfiguration, and they had an incredible encounter with the Living God and two of the greatest characters in the Bible, yes - Moses and Elijah. They were so overwhelmed when they heard our Heavenly Father speaking to His Son, Jesus Christ, and saying, “This is My Beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased” that they just wanted to stay on top of the mountain. Now, have you ever been in that situation? Of course you have! So have I. To have an encounter with the Living God, whether it be in a meeting where someone brings an incredible word of God, whether you are in a situation where it is absolutely peaceful and tranquil, and you can feel the presence of the Lord, and you don’t want to leave, you don’t want to go back into the rat-race of life, you just want to stay apart. Now, that is how the disciples felt. “Lord, we don’t want to go back down there. We want to stay up here with You. You see, folks, the people who are lost, the people who are sick, the people that are lonely, the people that are fearful, they are living in the valley. We have got to go down from the mountain, back down into the valley, roll up our sleeves and get stuck in and help them. We have got to pass on those precious truths that the Lord has given to us, to those who are desperately seeking. We have got to tell people the experiences that we have had on the mountain with the Lord Jesus Christ. We can’t stay up there forever. We have got to go down into the valley where the great need is. We also need to pass the baton to the new Christians - not always easy. You say, “No, they can’t do it, they are too young.” Yes they can and they will and when you pass on the baton, they in turn will tell others and that is how the ministry grows. As soon as a man holds that precious thing to himself and he won’t share it, it dies in his hands. Dad, pass it on to your son. “Oh, but he is not old enough yet!” Yes, he is! “But he is not responsible enough” Give him a chance. Mother, pass it on to your daughter. Give her an opportunity, “Yes, but she is not ready for it.” Yes, she is. Give her an opportunity to show you what she can do when you start to trust her, because that is what the Lord wants us to do. First, the mountain then the ministry. Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day, Goodbye.

24/09/2024

September 24, 2024 • Angus Buchan • 1 Samuel 13:11–13

I greet you in Jesus precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 24th of September, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in 1 Samuel 13:11-13. And Samuel said to Saul, “What have you done?” And then right at the bottom of verse 12, Saul replied, “Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.” Now, what happened here, Saul was supposed to wait for the prophet, Samuel to come and offer up a sacrifice to the Lord so that the Israelites would have the strength to win the battle, but Saul would not wait and he went ahead and did it himself. Samuel said to him, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you.” He said, “now your kingdom shall not continue.” We need to wait for the promise of God. Folks, so often we rush ahead of God, and this is a strong word today for some people. We need to wait for the promise of God. I read a beautiful little saying from an anonymous person which said, “Tarry (which means wait) at a promise till God meets you there. He always returns by way of His promises." So if He has promised you that He will find the right husband for you, young lady, wait for the Lord and He will honour His promise. Don’t go ahead and do something that you might regret for the rest of your life by marrying the wrong man. The same thing applies young man. Wait for the Lord. Be patient. “Ja, but I will never get this degree!” Yes, you will. If God has given you that promise, give Him an opportunity. He will walk with you right through it. God will help you. I want to say to a farmer who thinks, “I have to sell my cattle now because the prices are so poor, they are never going to pick up again and I am going to lose whatever I have got left." Wait, the prices will change and you can sell the cattle for the correct amount of money. Don’t rush ahead of God! I have seen it happen too many times. Being impulsive, not waiting on the Lord and then the thing goes completely haywire and you lose out. The Lord has promised you that He will come back. He will come back by the way of His promise. He will not come back another way and He will fulfil the promise He gave you. Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day. Be patient! Goodbye.