10/11/2024

Angus Buchan

10/11/2024

Humility

November 10, 2024 • Angus Buchan • 1 Peter 5:5

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Sunday morning, the 10th of November, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We go straight to 1 Peter 5:5:

“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

I read a beautiful little reading this morning in my quiet time by a man by the name of Thomas Champness, and it goes like this: “Is it not one of the great difficulties of church work that we have more officers than men?” How true is that? “We need more of the rank and file who are willing to march anywhere and to do the lowliest of tasks. We shall succeed in doing greater things when all are willing to be subjects. It is the bayonet rather than the gold braid which is needed when the enemy is to be subdued. “

You know, Count Zinzendorf was the founder of the Moravian Movement, an incredible missionary movement, and John Wesley, the great English preacher, who by the way, had a Master of Theology degree from Oxford University. He wanted to learn more and went across to Germany, to Count Zinzendorf’s farm, hoping to be taught, and you know what Count Zinzendorf did? He put Wesley to work in his garden. Wesley was most put out and he stayed there for a long time. Humility is what we need in the Kingdom of God.

William Duma, that wonderful Zulu preacher, was invited to Zambia in the early days. He was to preach at a conventional Baptist Church where you come in at the back and walk down the aisle to the pulpit in the front. 9 o’clock arrived and there was no preacher and they were looking everywhere, and the pastor thought, “I better pull out a sermon because he is not coming.” Then they heard a little knock. It was at the backdoor where the servant comes in on a Monday morning to sweep out the church and the pastor went through the curtain to the back, opened the door and there was the man of God. Humility!

Of course, the greatest example of all is our beloved Saviour, Jesus Christ, who was a foot-washer. Let’s be feet washers today.

Jesus bless you and goodbye.

21/11/2024

November 21, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Ephesians 4:15

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 21st of November, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to the Book of Ephesians 4:15: ”…speaking the truth in love,…” It is the truth that will set you and me free today. The truth cancels out all our mistakes. In other words, just own up and apologise and say sorry, and it sets us free. But as long as you and I continue to tell untruths - yes, that little white lie…there is no such thing as a white lie, we are held prisoner by the devil himself. You see, one lie leads to another lie. As they say, when you tell lies, you have to have a good memory because you have to remember what you said the last time, and slowly but surely, what happens is we get trapped in a spider’s web until we cannot escape. We need today to speak the truth in love. That is what happened to Richard Nixon. He had the potential to be America’s greatest president. I mean, he made peace with China, he was a great diplomat. He had incredible natural abilities, but he told an untruth, he told a lie and then to cover that lie, he told another lie, then eventually he put his hand on the Bible and swore over the Bible that he had not made the mistake, and he was found out and it toppled him completely until he had to leave office. Tell the truth today in love and Jesus Christ will back us up all the way and we will walk free because the devil will have no more hold over us. Folks, today Jesus Christ is saying to you and to me, ”Let us walk in honesty and the purity of God’s word.” And if we do make a mistake, and by the way, every single one of us have - Peter made three mistakes, he denied the Lord three times, he didn’t know him when he knew him very well, but he repented, he said sorry and what did Jesus do? He forgave him and used him to head up the church. Today, let’s walk in truth and let’s be free. The Lord shall set you free - you shall be free indeed. Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day, Goodbye.

20/11/2024

November 20, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Proverbs 10:19, Matthew 27:14

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Wednesday morning, the 20th of November, 2024 and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Proverbs 10:19. The word of God says: “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.” Then we go to Matthew 27:14: “But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly.” Now the Message translation says: “Do you hear that long list of accusations? Aren’t you going to say something?” Jesus kept silence—not a word from His mouth. The governor was impressed, really impressed.” We need to watch what we say. We need to make sure that our words are sweet because one day we might have to eat them! The longer you speak, the more you dilute your point. Speak less, listen more and we will become mighty wiser people. Mom, those children don’t listen to you maybe because you talk too much all the time. Let your words be shorter and to the point. I love the story of Sir Winston Churchill, the famous British Prime Minister, the “bulldog of Britain”. He went to Harrow School in 1941, in the middle of the Second World War and all the students were there, probably hanging on each word he was going to say. One of the greatest speakers ever to live, got up, walked up to the podium, looked at those young men and said, “Never, never, never give up!” And then he went and sat down. That was it. Do you know that that speech is the shortest speech he ever made, yet everybody knows it. Today, be like Jesus. Let your words be few but let each one count. Jesus bless you and goodbye.

19/11/2024

November 19, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Luke 23:3, Philippians 2:10–11

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 19th of November 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Gospel of Luke 23:3: ”Then Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered him and said, “It is as you say.” Jesus Christ is the King of all Kings. Hallelujah. He’s the Lord of Lords. He’s the Lily of the Valley. He’s the Bright Morning Star. He’s the friend of sinners like you and I. Folks, I want to say to you that every single creature that has ever existed in Heaven and on Earth knows in their heart, that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. Philippians 2:10-11 says every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Everyone knows this. You say, “How come?” Because God has put eternity into the heart of a man. You can go to the Amazon jungle, you can go to the Congo jungle, you can go to the Artic Circle, and you can meet people who have never ever heard the name of Jesus and you can ask them, ”Is there a God?” And they will say, ”There is. There is a higher power”. They just don’t know His name because you and I haven’t told them, but they know that there is a creator! Albert Einstein regarded as one of the most brilliant men that ever lived, acknowledged that there is a God. This creation couldn’t have happened with a Big Bang. It is created. I want to ask you a question, ”Do you know Him today, sir? Do you know that Jesus Christ is God in flesh? Immanuel, God with us?” I want to suggest to you, stop arguing with God and start believing. Do you know that there is more evidence that Jesus Christ walked on this earth than there is that Julius Caesar was the Emperor of Rome. Yet no-one questions the fact that Julias Caesar was the Emperor of Rome. Yet we are always questioning whether Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God. You know, Pontius Pilate asked Him, he said, ”Are you the King of the Jews?” He said, ”Yes, it is as you say.” Oh, my dear friend. I want to pray with you this morning. Father, This man, this woman, who is listening to this message this morning, they continue to doubt Your sovereignty. Please forgive them. Pray this prayer after me: I confess that I have doubted God but today, I choose by faith, to believe that Jesus Christ is the soon-coming King. Amen. God bless you and have a wonderful day. Goodbye.