26/06/2024

Angus Buchan

26/06/2024

Pruning

June 26, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Psalm 34:19, Romans 5:3–4

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Wednesday morning, the 26th of June, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in the Book of Psalms 34:19:

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”

Then we go straight to the Book of Romans 5:3-4:

“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Are you going through a rough time at the moment? Are you feeling like, “Lord, I just can’t go on anymore.” Well then, this message is for you. I want to tell you about three people who have impacted my life more than most, and I have had the privilege of meeting some very, very well-known people, famous people. I am talking about kings, yes, I am talking about presidents, oh yes, and I want to tell you these three people have impacted my life more than any famous sportsman, etc.

The first is an old lady who has gone to be with Jesus. Her name was Aunty Peggy. Aunty Peggy had diabetes and she had one of her legs amputated just below the knee. She struggled with blood pressure, and you know, she lived with us for many, many years in a little cottage on the farm. I want to tell you, whenever I needed some compassion and a good listening ear, I didn’t go to some specialist or to some supernatural theologian, I went to Aunty Peggy. I sat down and we had a cup of tea together and she listened to my problems, my fears, my inadequacies, the pressure I was under, and she just smiled, and she just oozed with compassion. By the time I had had a cup of tea with Aunty Peggy, I walked out of that cottage and I felt I could take on the whole world.

The second person is a gentleman who lives in England. He went to Africa and took care of disabled children. He poured himself out on behalf of those who could not pay him a cent. He contracted malaria, he lost his sight, but I will tell you what, I have yet to meet a man who has more insight than David. He is a gentleman and a giant of the faith.

The third person is a man who has been extremely successful in business. I told him the other day, “Martin, you need to write your story.” The man said, “What story?” I said, “Martin, you have a story to tell.” Probably one of the most humble men I have ever met, I trust that he will write his story before he goes home to meet with Jesus.

Today, do not be scared, do not be afraid of being pruned hard. When you get pruned, you produce quality fruit.

Jesus bless you and goodbye.

30/06/2024

June 30, 2024 • Angus Buchan • 2 Timothy 2:3

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Sunday morning, the 30th of June, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in 2 Timothy 2:3: "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." People say "Come to Jesus and all your problems will be over." Now, I have been looking for that scripture in the Bible for quite a few years and I just can't find it because it is not there. There is nowhere where Jesus says, "Come to Me and I will give you a bed of roses" - not at all! He says, "Come to me and I will give you rest," and He says, "Take My cross up and follow Me daily." If we look at Hebrews 12:12-13, the Lord says: "Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed." We are in the fight of our lives. Yes, we have the victory, I know that so well, but nevertheless, it is still a fight. I read a little article the other day that says, "This life is not victory but a battle." We need to be patient for a little longer and then we will have the victory. Do you remember that beautiful hymn, "I have decided to follow Jesus?" I remember a few years ago when we were going to Cape Town. They had had no rain for two years and we went to parliament. We were praying that the Lord would undertake for us, and I got an opportunity to stand up and to speak up, and I felt the Lord say, "I want you to sing. I want you to sing that you have decided to follow Me." Please sing it with me because as a soldier of the Cross, it gives us strength to run the race and to finish it. Of course, we have the victory but we need to be good soldiers. We need to disciplined. We need to get up every morning and face the day until that wonderful day when Jesus comes to take us home to be with Him in glory forever. The song goes like this: I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; I have decided to follow Jesus; Oh, no turning back, praise the Lord, no turning back. The second verse goes like this: Tho' none go with me, I still will follow, Tho' none go with me I still will follow, Tho' none go with me, I still will follow; No turning back, praise the Lord, no turning back. As good soldiers, let's press on towards the mark of our high calling. Jesus bless you, have a wonderful day, Goodbye

29/06/2024

June 29, 2024 • Angus Buchan • John 3:16, Jeremiah 20:9

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Saturday morning, the 29th of June, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” That is the whole Bible in one verse. Sixty-six books in the Bible, the whole Bible summed up in one verse, for God so loved you today, my dear friend. I listened to a Gospel song last night. I love country and western music and this young cowboy was saying something before he started his song. He said when he was a young boy, his grandfather was a preacher and he said, “Son, are you coming to church today?” And the young boy said, “No, grandfather, I don’t think I will go to church today.” And then his grandfather said to him, “Well son, I wouldn’t go to church either if Jesus Christ had done nothing for me.” Very profound. Why do we go to church? “Well”, you say, “I go to church because it is the right thing to do.” No, that is not good enough. “No, it is a tradition in our family.” That’s not good enough either. “Well, my parents expect me to.” That’s not a good enough reason. “My boss expects me to go.” That’s not a good enough reason. “My girlfriend goes to church.” Son, that’s not a good enough reason either. None of those reasons are good enough. We look at Jeremiah, the Prophet. Jeremiah had been made a fool of. They put him in the stocks and he was the laughing stock of the city, and he says in Jeremiah 20:9: Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, (in other words, I will not speak about Him anymore.) Nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not. (I could not hold it back, I had to keep telling people about the Lord) I want to tell you today, I go to church to meet with the Man who saved my very life. He did everything for me. I go to church every Sunday to say, “Thank You,”. I go to church to learn from Jesus, I go to church to be with His family, my friends. You might say to me, “I get nothing out of church.” Well then you need to find a church that is preaching the Gospel and your life will be transformed. Go to church because He loves you and He wants to meet with you. Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day, Goodbye.

28/06/2024

June 28, 2024 • Angus Buchan • Acts 18:9

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Friday morning, the 28th of June, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to the Book of Acts 18:9: “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.” Now, that was a message that the Lord gave to me personally, many, many years ago. That was my calling to go out and to do the work of the evangelist, but up until then, I had, had no experience whatsoever. I felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to go to a little town, about an hour’s drive west of our farm, Shalom. I drove into that town, I will never forget it and I felt the Lord say, “Book the town hall and have a campaign for a week.” Well, I want to tell you, my dear friend, it doesn’t come easy. I started knocking on doors, and I got no response at all. I went to each and every church in that town almost, knocking on the doors, saying, “I am coming, we are going to have a campaign, bring your people. We are not trying to start our own church and we want to support what you are doing in the town.” I got very little, if any support at all. But you see, I think, the Lord was testing me, because there was one minister who was out of town. I knocked on his door, there was no answer. I left a little note underneath his door with my phone number and said I had been to see him and what we intended to do. I came home and I said to my wife, Jill, “I think I have missed it, they don’t really want me there, they don’t know who I am, they have got no need for me. That’s what it appears to be like.” But you know, the next morning, at about 6am, I got a phone call from that town. That minister had come home that night. He said, “You won’t believe this - we have been praying for six months on top of the hills around this town, and we have been asking the Lord to send a revival. We are waiting for you and you are most welcome.” And the rest is history, as they say. That was the beginning. But I want to read something to you that is very interesting. It was written by a man by the name of F B Meyer, a great man of God. This is what he said, he said: “Obedience to a divine prompting transforms it into a permanent acquisition.” Now for the young people, what does that mean? It means the Holy Spirit puts something on your heart, and you are obedient to what the Lord has placed on your heart. Maybe He said, “I want you to go to university, I want you to become a doctor so that you can help poor people; I wanted you to start a business so that you can support the work of God; I want you to play good sport so that you can be a witness for Me,” and you don’t feel that you can do it, but you are obedient to it. Listen to this: “Obedience to a divine prompting transforms it into a permanent acquisition.” Once you are obedient to what you feel the Lord told you to do, it becomes a reality. Now go out and do it! Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day, Goodbye.