14/06/2024

Angus Buchan

14/06/2024

Humility

June 14, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Numbers 12:3, 1 Peter 5:5, Matthew 10:27

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Friday morning, the 14th of June, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in the Book of Numbers 12:3, in the Old Testament,

“Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.”

I want to speak to you about humility, about genuine humility and humbleness, meekness. Now, Moses led a nation of over a million people, through the desert, a terribly tough place, for forty years. There was nothing soft about him. As some people say, the softest part of Moses was his teeth. I am looking forward to meeting him in Heaven. What a man! But he was the humblest man who ever lived, according to the word of God, and we are not talking about Jesus of course.

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

1 Peter 5:5

Now, I want to speak to you about real humility today, not false humility. Sometimes when you watch some sport on television and you see a tennis player or maybe a soccer player, a rugby player, and they are interviewed and the interviewer says, “How did it go?” And the tennis player says, “Oh, I am so pleased with myself. I hit the ball so sweetly today.” Or a golfer, “I really connected that ball, I really am pleased with myself.” It sounds like he is really bragging you know, it sounds like he is really arrogant but the truth of the matter is, my dear friend, he is so excited about the improvement in his game. He is not talking about himself as per sé, he is talking about the fact that he hit the ball so nicely, he has been working so hard on it.

Like when you go to a farmer and he takes you around his farm and he shows you a beautiful maize crop and he says, “Man, I am so pleased with myself, I have got such a lovely crop. And you think, “Come on man, stop bragging.” He is not bragging, he is so excited about the achievement, or a magnificent animal on the show when he has just got the grand champion, a beautiful big bull. He is so excited about it. False humility is walking around with sackcloth and ashes and saying, “I am suffering for Jesus.” That doesn’t bring any glory to God.

I want to tell you a little story. I was at a book signing once, and a little boy walked up to me, and he was standing back, and he had a red face; he was very embarrassed. He had a cell phone in his hand, he had one of my books and a pen. I walked over to him and I got down on my knees. I said, “Son, would you like me to sign your book for you?”

And he had a big smile on his face, “Yes please, sir.”

“And would you like a photograph with me?”

“Yes please, sir.”

So we posed together, we did a nice selfie, and a lady walked past. She was pushing someone in a wheelchair, and she said, “Christians are supposed to be humble.” Ag, I just smiled and I said, “Yes, thank you, madam’, but that little boy walked away so happy.

Today, shout it from the rooftops. Matthew 10:27. Tell people about your newfound faith and about how good God has been to you.

Have a lovely day,

Jesus bless you and goodbye.

25/06/2024

June 25, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Matthew 5:13

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 25th of June, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Matthew 5:13: "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavour, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." Have you ever tried to eat a plate of food without salt? Have you ever tried to eat a plate of porridge with no salt! Oh folks! Coming from a Scottish background, where porridge is our staple diet, aah - it is terrible. It is bland, tasteless, it is extremely hard to swallow. It is like listening to a preacher bringing the word of God to a congregation, who is just so very boring, no passion, no conviction. I remember once preaching to a group of farmers down in the Eastern Cape and at half time, it was an all-day affair, I was in the bathroom, and an old farmer walked in and he said to me, "Son, when you preach, you don't have to sweat so much." I said him, "Sir, you haven't seen anything yet. Wait for the second half!" We need to be committed to our walk with Jesus Christ. Some people don't even believe in what they are preaching. There is no emotion, no tears. Charles Finney was a great revivalist from America. He said, "Where there are no tears and no "amens" there is no revival." No conviction, no love, no desperation - you and I have been called to be watchmen, we have been called to warn the people of the evil one. We need to prepare people's hearts for home time. We mustn't preach to the head, we must preach to the heart, always preaching for a response, expecting results. We want a verdict. It's like a defence lawyer. Have you ever seen him pleading for the life of his client who has been condemned to death? He is not playing the fool, he is desperate. He only has one opportunity. You and I are exactly in the same position. There must be an urgency for your loved ones to be saved. People must have an opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Now, maybe you are listening to this message for the first time and maybe you say, "I don't know what you are talking about, being born again. What does that mean?" It means you need to stop your life of total disregard for God, and you need to start living for Jesus Christ. Pray this prayer after me: Dear Lord Jesus, I repent of my sin today. I am sick and tired of doing things my own way. From today onwards, I choose to follow You and only You. In Jesus' name, amen. God bless you. Now, go out and tell the first three people what you have just prayed. Goodbye.

24/06/2024

June 24, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Jeremiah 17:7–8, Hebrews 13:6, Job 13:15, 2 Corinthians 5:7

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Monday morning, the 24th of June, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Jeremiah 17:7-8: “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Then Hebrews 13:6: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” We need to trust the Lord unconditionally. If we have done everything we can in our own strength, then after that, it is totally in God’s hands. I remember the drought we had on this farm. Folks, I want to tell you, there is nothing worse, there is nothing that puts a man down more than driving around a crop that he has planted by faith, and watching it start to shrivel up and die because there is no rain. That is the time when you and I have to trust the Lord unconditionally. Job 13:15, remember Job was a farmer, he said: “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” You see, God can do something with a man like that who unconditionally trusts the Lord. Yes, you have got to do your homework, work hard, and make sure that you are walking according to God’s precepts, and then allow Him to change a drought into an abundant crop. Now folks, if you can’t believe in miracles, then you can’t be a Christian, because the word of God is one miracle from beginning to end. I want to tell you, I have seen too many miracles in my life not to believe that our God is alive, He is well and He is on the side of those who put their trust in Him. I have seen years where it looks as though the crop is done and then at the eleventh hour, the rain comes. The roots are deep into the ground, they are drinking the water and there is an incredible reward. Don’t walk by sight, walk by faith in God - 2 Corinthians 5:7, and He will see you through. Whatever that thing is that you are struggling with today, give it to the Lord, do your best and then start to praise Him and watch what He will do for you. Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day, Goodbye.

23/06/2024

June 23, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Romans 12:12

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Sunday morning, the 23rd of June, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the book of Romans 12:12: ”…rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer:...” Wow, what a beautiful scripture! I looked up the Amplified version of the same scripture, Romans 12:12: ” …constantly rejoicing in hope [because of our confidence in Christ], steadfast and patient in distress, devoted to prayer [continually seeking wisdom, guidance, and strength],” Wow! Are you feeling a bit down today, or you just don’t seem to be able to get it right? Are you feeling like you keep dropping the ball? Are you feeling, “Lord I’m not growing in Christ.” Well, I want to tell you something, through that scripture, the Lord has said to us that our Christian walk is an ongoing state, it’s not a one-off state of mind. No, we are working at it all the way until we get home. It’s making an effort, and the easiest way is to spend more time with Jesus, because the people you spend time with are the people that you become like. I remember meeting a man, as a new Christian. This man was one of the strongest men I’ve ever seen. When you shook his hand, his hand enveloped your whole hand and what a kind man, but you see, he was in a wheelchair because he’d had an accident on the farm, one of the most even-tempered, godly men I’ve ever met. What an encouragement, I always liked to spend time with him. The other night I was listening to an interview on TV by Bill Gaither, he was interviewing a pianist by the name of Gordon Mote, and he said that they were all sitting at a roadhouse having a meal, the whole band, they were on their way to some event. They parked the Combi outside and when they’d finished their food, they all stood up and they walked outside and jumped into the combi. When they got into the combi, this makes me want to cry, they looked around to find out where Gordon was. Where was the pianist? He was still sitting in his place in the diner. You see, Gordon is blind, he can’t see. He was patiently waiting for somebody to take him out to the combi, and when Bill Gaither told that story there were tears in his eyes. Maybe today you’re feeling a bit overlooked. Well, how do you think David felt? Seven brothers all lining up to see if they are going to be the next king of Israel and Samuel the prophet said. ”No, it’s none of these, don’t you have any other sons, Jesse?” “Ja, Ja I’ve got one more, he’s looking after the sheep.” “Call him.” And he was anointed as the greatest king Israel has ever had next to Jesus. I want to say to you today, stop being irritable. Irritable means easily annoyed, angered, or bad tempered, grumpy. Don’t be like that. Jesus sees everything, He saw blind Bartimaeus, He saw the little man, Zacchaeus, up a tree, He saw the woman at the well, and He sees you today. Jesus bless you and goodbye.