02/01/2025

Angus Buchan

02/01/2025

Homemade Prayers

January 2, 2025 • Angus Buchan • Matthew 6:8

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 2nd of January, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We go straight to the Gospel of Matthew 6:8. Jesus said:

“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”

Now just before that, the Lord tells us that He is not interested in vain repetition when you pray, not fancy words. I love what C H Spurgeon says. He talks about “homemade prayers”. If there is one thing I really desire for you as we go into the new year, is that this year be a year where you learn to speak daily to the Lord Jesus Christ, prayers which come straight from the heart, speaking straight to Jesus Christ - no flowery Christianese, but honest day to day language. The Lord understands it, just that ordinary layman’s language to a Carpenter, just tell Him exactly how you are feeling, tell Him how things really are, and ask Him to help you. It is not so much about the words even, is it? It is more about the heart of the prayer.

We need to speak to Jesus through the Holy Spirit, just as you would speak to your workmate in the office, in the field, in the workshop. David Wilkerson, in his book, The Cross and The Switchblade, said sometimes, when he would pray the Sinner’s Prayer with those young gangsters from the ghettos of New York, their vocabulary was non-existent. Every second word was a swear word and they prayed the Sinner’s Prayer in blasphemous language, they were unaware of that, but their heart was pleading with God.

I remember, just after I had given my life to Christ, we were sitting in a circle in a prayer meeting, probably the first one I had ever been to, and each one of us had to pray. The leader said, “Just pray” and we had never prayed out loud. The turn came to one old gentleman, his name was John, and I have never forgotten his prayer. His prayer came from the depths of his heart. He was in big trouble and he said, “Oh God, please help me!” And the Lord helped him.

As you go into this new year, make prayer a priority in your life, every single morning and right through the day, and last of all at night, before you go to sleep. Speak to Him in homemade prayers.

Jesus bless you and goodbye.

05/01/2025

January 5, 2025 • Angus Buchan • Mark 16:18

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name, it is Sunday morning, the 5th of January, 2025, and this is your friend Angus Buchan with a Thought for Today. We go to Mark 16:18: “They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Can you imagine the hands of Jesus being laid upon you, my dear friend, to take away all your sickness, all your pain, all your suffering, all your fear and all your anxiety, those beautiful, beautiful hands. Of course, you know they will have a hole through them. They have been pierced by nails when the Lord was nailed to the cross for our sins, but what beautiful hands. Early this morning I was repairing a fence the back of our garden, and because I'm a preacher now and not a farmer, I must confess, my hands are very soft. I was quite embarrassed. I just remember my dear old Dad. Man, he had hands like you can't believe. He was a blacksmith, and he used tongs and 14-pound hammers, standing next to that fiery furnace and heating up that steel and banging it. He had the most incredibly powerful hands, yet they were so gentle - I never once saw him try to break a man's hand. He would shake your hand and it was like it was in a vice. It was firm, it was secure! Hands, hands are so important. I remember, one day, going to the chemist's shop and as I was paying for something I said to the lady, look at my hands. I've got hands and like a woman now that I don't farm actively anymore. She looked at me and she said, “Don't insult women's hands.” Now, when I speak to farmers, I have to put my hands in my pockets because when they see those hands, they'll say those aren’t a farmers hands. But you know, on a serious note, the Lord tells us to lay our hands upon the sick and to pray for healing over them. To get a touch from the Lord is so beautiful and so precious. I love to stop and pray for somebody in the street and I will put my hand on their shoulder; sometimes I don't even pray and they start to weep. It's the love of Christ in us that people need to experience, so it doesn't matter whether your hands are strong or soft. I think of the hands of that incredible neurosurgeon, Dr. Carson, who had the gift of separating Siamese twins with one operation taking something like 48 hours. Those were hands of compassion and hands that are strong. Remember, folks, people love a handshake, they love a hug, and it doesn't matter whether your hands are rough, or whether they’re smooth but make sure they're always clean. My Dad had the cleanest hands of a man I've ever seen. He made sure that when he went out, his hands were clean. There might be rough and gnarled, but clean, and most of all filled with the love of Jesus. Have a blessed day. God bless you, and goodbye.

04/01/2025

January 4, 2025 • Angus Buchan • John 17:17, Jeremiah 4:22, Hosea 4:1

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Saturday morning, the 4th of January, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to the Old Testament to the Book of Jeremiah 4:22: “For My people are foolish, They have not known Me. They are silly children, And they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, But to do good they have no knowledge.” What a sad verse! And then we go to the Book of Hosea 4:1: “There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land.” Another very sad scripture! As we start the new year of 2025, we have to teach the children of God carefully to do good and not evil. These comments have been made, not to unbelievers - no, but to the Body of Christ! We have got to get back to basics. John 17:17, Jesus says: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” Because I can hear somebody saying, “Yes, but what is truth?” Well, the word is truth. We need to teach our children, teach our loved ones, about the knowledge of God. That is what will set us free, and the knowledge of God is the undiluted word of God. It’s not about our opinions, it is God’s opinion that counts. One of my sons met a a new farmer in the district in the local farmer’s co-op, some months back. A very, very successful farmer who had been farming up-country, and he relocated and bought a new farm not too far away from us, and they got talking in the co-op, a good place to talk! This man was devastated. He said, “I have lost almost sixty head of cattle. Sixty cows have died from red water” (which is a tick-born disease). And my son said, “What are you doing about it?” And he said, “No, the experts have told us to leave the cattle and they will become immune in time.” My son is from the old school. He said, “Sir, I would advise you to dip your cattle regularly.” Well, of course, he got back to the basics and he dipped his cattle. We saw that gentleman in church a few weeks later. His face was beaming. He said, “I have not lost one cow since then.” We have got to do the basics right. There is a lot of theory going on. At the end of the day, it is what Jesus says that counts. What am I talking about? Husbands, love your wives - that is what the Bible says, unconditionally. Wives, submit to your husbands - it’s what the Bible says. Children, honour your parents - it’s what the Bible says. Parents, do not provoke your children. Love one another unconditionally. That is wisdom. Jesus bless you and have a lovely day, Goodbye.

03/01/2025

January 3, 2025 • Angus Buchan • Mark 6:20, Acts 26:28

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Friday morning, the 3rd of January, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start off in the Gospel of Mark 6:20: “…for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.” Then we go to the Book of Acts 26:28: "Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” People don’t have to like us but they must respect us. You see, even though John openly rebuked King Herod for taking his brother’s wife and living an ungodly lifestyle, Herod still respected John and admired him. There are many people on the verge of giving their lives to Jesus, and your lifestyle and my lifestyle will determine whether they come through or not. You see, the truth of God draws people to Jesus, just like a light draws a moth in the middle of the night - it’s irresistible. King Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” We must never lower our standards because if we do, people will simply despise us and say, “You see, they are a bunch of hypocrites!” We need to stand tall, we need to speak the truth, and God will bring those people to Himself. When they see your peace, your purpose, your joy, they will come to you and say, “I want what you have got.” So young lady, you don’t have to throw your virginity away just to please people. Young man, you don’t have to bend the rules, put your fingers in the till, as they say, and take money that is not yours, just to keep up with other people. It doesn’t work and it does not last. We really need to stand up for what we believe in. There is a young man who I love very dearly. I have known him for many years and I keep saying to him, “When are you coming to have a cup of tea with me?” I say to him, “I have got the kettle on, I am waiting for you.” But he knows what we are going to talk about and I am firmly believing by faith that one day, I will get that phone call where he will say, “Angus, I am coming to have that cup of tea.” And that will be the day that he will fully commit his life and his lifestyle to Jesus Christ. But until then, by the grace of God, we continue like John the Baptist to speak the truth in love - in love - and God will do the rest. Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day, Goodbye.