I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Monday morning, the 21st of April, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in the Book of Zechariah 13:9b: 

“They will call on My name, 
And I will answer them. I will say, 
‘This is My people’; 
And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

Then we just go to Zechariah 8:8:

“They shall be My people
And I will be their God,
In truth and righteousness.”

Then just the last verse for today, Matthew 16:24:

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” 

The Lord says that we are going to go through fiery trials, oh yes, just like silver and gold, we are going to be purified in fiery trials. Then we will call Him our Father and He will call us His people. The Lord never promised you and me a bed of roses. No, no, there is nowhere in the Bible He said that.

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
Psalm 34:19

I want to tell you a little story. Many, many years ago, there were a group of actors, production people and producers and editors who came to Shalom, they came to make a movie called, “Faith like Potatoes” and the principle actor, a man that I love dearly, Frank Rautenbach, took the part of Angus in the movie. The night we met, we had to meet all the actors, Jeanne took the part of my wife Jill, did a beautiful job and all the support actors, not to mention the directors and producers, it was a wonderful time. We had an evening together and apparently, I don’t remember this, Frank has told me I said “You are going to play my part but you are going to go through many fiery trials.” And he has.

Oh but friends, I want to tell you that through that incredible little movie, and all the glory goes to Jesus Christ, the Lord used these actors and multitudes have come to Christ and are still coming to Christ when they watch that little movie. Yes, Frank has been through fiery trials but through it all, Jesus has been glorified. Today, don’t be afraid of the fiery trials you are going through. The Lord will not allow you to be tempted more than you are able.

Jesus bless you and goodbye.