Thought For Today

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 6th of August, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. 

We start in the Book of Romans 1:16. It is a scripture that all of us know and we should actually know off by heart,

”For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

If we go to The Message translation, the same scripture goes like this:

It’s news I’m most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God’s powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else!”
Romans 1:16

Then The Passion translation,

“I refuse to be ashamed of sharing the wonderful news of God’s liberating power unleashed in us through Christ! For I am thrilled to preach that everyone who believes is saved - the Jew first and then people everywhere!” 
Romans 1:16

It is for everyone. The other night it was very sad for myself and my wife Jill, when we were sitting down and expecting to see a wonderful opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris, France, and we saw something that was so sad my dear friend that we actually turned the television off before it was halfway through - where our beloved Lord Jesus Christ was publicly mocked and made a complete fool of. Now many people are asking how does one respond to an unprovoked attack on our faith in God? Well, we have to react the same way that our champion did. We pray for them, we ask God to forgive them, for truly they have no idea what they are doing. Luke 23:34, when our Master was hanging on the cross and He was dying He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” 

You know, funnily enough, in 1924 at the Paris, France, Olympics, yes again, a Christian man, Eric Liddell, before he ran a race and won the gold medal for Britain, walked up the line and shook hands with every single opponent and wished them all the best, and then he proceeded to win the race and receive the gold medal. That is how we respond.

Jesus bless you and have wonderful day,
Goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus' precious Name. It is Monday morning, the 5th of August, 2024, and this is your friend Angus Buchan with a Thought for Today.

We start in Luke 5:32:

"I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

Jesus came to save the sinner, not the righteous. He says He came for the sick, not those who are well. Jesus was often found where no self-respecting person would go, and frequently, his disciples would remind him, saying: "Lord, do you know who those people are that you are associating with?" He would say: "Yes, I've come for the lost. For that one lost sheep." Maybe you've got one in your family; perhaps you got a loved one who's drifted off - I want to tell you Jesus will not give up on that lost sheep until it comes home. Luke 15:5 says:

"And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing."

He doesn't just lead it home. He picks it up, puts it on his shoulders and carries it home. Jesus will not give up on your loved one. Jesus will not give up on you; you need to call Him. I can hear someone say: "But it's too late for me." It is never too late, never too late! The Lord loves you; that is why He died for you on the cross of Calvary. He is desperate - He will leave the 99 to go and find the one!

As a farmer, sometimes, when it's calving season, and cows and calves are running all over the place (it's a beautiful sight to see), when we bring the herd home, one little calf is lost. We send the herdsmen out, and they look all over. We get on horseback and go all over the farm, trying to find that lost calf. In the end, in desperation, as the sun is setting, we still can't find it. Do you know what we do? We take its mother, and we let her go. We leave her and let her go. I want to tell you that the mother is standing alone in the field the following day as the sun is coming up. And who is suckling? The baby calf that we could not find. She found it, and I want to tell you that our beloved Jesus is the same. When everybody else gives up on you, He will never give up on you. "Come unto me, all of you that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

In my prayer room, where I pray every morning and get this message for you, I have a beautiful painting that a dear friend did. It is a painting of Jesus welcoming a lost sheep home. I also have a beautiful olive wood carving that I got in Israel, depicting the Lord Jesus Christ carrying that lost sheep.

Today, be encouraged! He will not let you go until you are totally brought home; Jesus bless you and goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus' precious Name. It is Sunday morning, the 4th of August, 2024, and this is your friend Angus Buchan with a Thought for Today.

We start in Matthew 8:34

"And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region."

What a sad scripture verse. I think it's probably one of the saddest scriptures in the Bible. The people didn't want Him. I feel like crying, because I see it so often. He had just set a madman free that no one else could. That man must have terrorised that district and those people. They tried to tie him up in chains, but he broke the chains. Jesus came and set him free, and then the people said: "Please leave us; we don't want you to be here."

You know, folks, people don't like to change, do they? And they don't want to be controlled, so they think. Jesus doesn't control us; Jesus leads us and loves us. Often, I get phone calls from concerned relatives phoning up: "Please can you phone my dad? Can you please phone this lady? They need to know Jesus. They are in a desperate state." So, I go ahead and phone them, and then I get rebuffed: "Who are you? What do you want? No, I'm not interested!" I feel like saying: "Look, I didn't ask to phone you. Your loved ones asked me to phone you" - not interested. So now, before calling anybody, I still will but I say to them: "You phone your relatives and ask them if Angus can speak with them." If they say no, then I'm not phoning them.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples ran away from the only One who could help them in the whole world. Matthew 26:56 says,

"Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled."

They ran away from the only person in the whole world who could help and protect them. Don't do that. Today, decide to call upon the Lord. Sometimes, we hear reports of people who want to avoid coming to our outreach meetings. They say, "Nah, it's just a money-making racket. I know these evangelists - I'm not interested." But then they get a bit of a shock when the person turns around and says: "But they don't take any collections at those meetings, and they don't even mention money." And then the man says: "Yeah, well, maybe..." He still doesn't believe it.

I want to tell you, do not harden your heart against the Lord today. He wants to help you. He's there for your benefit, not for His. That's why I came down from Heaven to Earth to help us undertake what we must go through.

Today, call upon Him, He will help you.
Jesus bless you, and goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Saturday morning, the 3rd of August, 2024 and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in 1 Peter 5:7:

"…casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

Then, that beautiful scripture in Hebrews 12:2:

"…looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,…"

You and I are on a journey. This journey is taking us all the way home but we need endurance. How are you feeling today? Are you feeling tired and weary? Well, I want to tell you, there is no going back to Egypt. There is nothing in Egypt for you and I. We have got to press on homeward. We have got to get rid of unnecessary burdens, for the journey is long, and we need to travel as lightly as we can. Don't ever give up, don't ever stop. There is absolutely nothing for us to go back for. 

You might be carrying family problems today, you might be carrying burdens that are taking place at work, you might even be physically sick today, but Jesus says, "My grace is sufficient for you." By the way, we are not running alone. Many of our loved ones are cheering for us in Heaven. They are saying, "Keep on, I want to see you in Heaven one day. Don't stop!" So let's get rid of that sin, let's get rid of that doubt that I won't make it. Let's cast it off because it will wear you down. 

Now, that old British bulldog, Winston Churchill, said a couple of very true things. One of them was, "Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." Maybe today you have hit a couple of corrugations in the road. Don't stop. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Do not go where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." So I really want to encourage you, and most of all, remember, we don't travel this journey alone. No, no, no! We are walking with Jesus, hand in hand and He knows the way home, by the way. Matthew 11:30, He says:

"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Jesus bless you and continue to enjoy the journey because soon, and very soon, we are going to see the King of Kings.

God bless you and goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Friday morning, the 2nd of August, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in the Book of Acts 20:24. Paul says:

“But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”  

We have got to keep the main thing, the main thing. We have to focus on what God has called us to, which is to tell people about Jesus. It’s very simple. We have to do it in our workplace, we have got to do it on the sports field, we have got to do it in the classroom. It is all about preaching the good news, the Gospel of Christ, and you and I need to finish the race. We need to complete the task and we mustn’t waste time. Now maybe you say to me, “But I have never had the privilege of being able to preach from a pulpit or a platform”, but that doesn’t matter. These men that we are reading about, Paul, Peter, James and John - these were men who preached in the workplace. They weren’t even allowed in the synagogues. 

The other day, a group of people arrived on the farm and they came to buy a horse from my son. I greeted them and we started talking about horses. Of course, I have got a horse, you know that! His name is Snowy, that’s right, the kids love him. They are always asking me, “How is Snowy doing?” 

So we started up a conversation. I told them I have been riding horses since I was 19 years old and they told me about their horses, and then slowly but surely the conversation swung around to all the Mighty Men meetings that we have had on this farm, to people's lives that have been changed through the preaching of the Gospel in the open air.

Today, don’t underestimate where God has called you. If you are a school teacher, you have got an instant congregation in front of you, day after day. What a privilege! If you are working in a factory, you have got a whole group of men and women you can tell about Jesus. I am not talking about Bible punching. I am talking about you telling them how Jesus has impacted your life. Maybe you are a homemaker or a housewife. Aah man, those are the people I salute the most. You know, Jesus had a mother, her name was Mary. She was dedicated to looking after Him and Him alone, but look what happened from her obedience - the Son of God!

I want to tell you today, go out there, keep the main thing, the main thing. Focus on the work God has called you to, and most of all, enjoy it. 

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day,
Goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 1st of August, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to 2 Chronicles 16:9:

“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” 

It’s a beautiful scripture but do you see how the eyes of the Lord have to go to and fro throughout the whole earth to find a loyal man, a loyal woman? Loyalty - it’s very high in the ranks of the Lord.

The Oxford Dictionary calls “loyalty” - a strong feeling of support, faithfulness, devotion, and commitment. Hebrews 13:5, Jesus says:

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

He is loyal to us. We can depend on God for He has never once let His people down. On the other hand, betrayal is a terrible thing, folks. It is a terrible thing to have to work through. It’s called a “breach of trust”. Now, Peter the Disciple knew that, didn’t he, when he betrayed the Lord three times. Matthew 26:75:

“So he went out and wept bitterly.”

Please don’t do it! Don’t cheat on your wife, don’t cheat on your husband, don’t cheat on the company that you work for, don’t speak to others about confidential matters. Be loyal, don’t be disrespectful. It is extremely destructive. Do you remember that movie, “Braveheart’? Do you remember that part in the movie where William Wallace, who was basically winning the battle, saw Robert the Bruce, the future King of Scotland, be disloyal towards the Scottish people, and was found to be on the side of the English? When he knocked him off his horse and he pulled the helmet off his head, William Wallace saw his future king who had betrayed the Scottish people, and he sat down and he gave up at that very moment. He was so devastated by the disloyalty of his future king.

I want to say to you today, don’t do it! The Lord is looking for loyal people that He can depend on, that He can trust, irrespective of the situation. Be loyal to the Lord because He loves you so much and He will never let you down. You can depend on Him.

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day,
Goodbye. 

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Wednesday morning, the 31st of July, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. 

We start in the Book of Mathew 8:20:

”And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

Then we go to John 14:2:

”In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

What a beautiful promise from our Lord Jesus Christ. Today maybe I am speaking to some young couples who are really struggling to find a home to live in because there just doesn’t seem to be any houses available. Jesus is telling you and I today, not to worry for He is building us a beautiful home in heaven. Rather be content with what you have at the moment and invest in heavenly things.

I remember, long time ago, a gentleman who I regarded greatly, a very hard working man. He basically spent most of his working life building a house for his retirement, and when he had finished it and he had retired, I went to visit him one day, and I admired his house and he was sitting on the verandah and I said, ”What a wonderful job you’ve done here.” And tears started running down his face and he said, ”Yes, but what for Angus?” You see the man had cancer and three months after he had moved into his new house, he died.

The Lord is warning you and me today not to put all our finances, all our effort, into things which will perish one day. Do not be like that foolish farmer - remember? - who had a bumper crop and made a lot of money and he said, “I’m going to build another barn to put all my bumper crop into, all my maize, my wheat, and then I’m going to sit down and I’m going to eat, drink and be merry.” The Lord said, ”Foolish man, this very night I will require your soul from you.”

Let us concentrate on our eternal home where we’ll live in peace with our beloved Jesus forever and not be so taken up by having to own a home on this earth.

Jesus bless you and goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 30th of July, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. 

We go straight to 1 Corinthians 11:23-30:

”For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.” 

Holy communion is the most sacred of all Christian sacraments. It is something we must not neglect. I break bread with my family and I break bread with my wife as often as I can. Just a week ago I spent two days with over 100 men who I am mentoring and the climax of the two days is when we break bread and say farewell to each other.

A while back I was sent the most beautiful gift from one of my spiritual sons, a portable communion set. I take this set with me and I have communion with the Lord as often as I can. There is no special place to have communion. You can have communion with the Lord, flying in an aeroplane, driving into Africa in an overland truck, you can have it with a person who is dying and going to be with the Lord. If you love Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, you may perform it. It doesn’t have to be a certain person. What it does have to be, is someone who is very sincere for the Lord.

I want to encourage you to break bread with your family as often as you can and we remember what Jesus Christ has done for each one of us.

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day,
Goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Monday morning, the 29th of July, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan with a thought for today.

We go straight to the Book of Mathew 8:13:

”Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.”

The prayer of faith moves the hand of God. God doesn’t answer prayer, God answers the prayer of faith. There’s a huge difference. Now, I can hear somebody saying, ”But what is faith?” Well, according to Hebrews 11:1:

”Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

And verse 6 says:

”But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

I want to say to you today, my dear friend, start to trust God with all of your heart. If you can’t believe Him for the big things, start believing Him for the little things. Like the old lady who comes into town and says, ”Lord, I’m tired, my legs are sore. I need a parking place in front of the supermarket, please make it possible.” And as she drives down the street, very slowly, somebody reverses out and in she goes. I want to tell you, those little acts of faith build and build. Eventually, you trust in God for miraculous signs and wonders. When I started many years ago as an evangelist, I only had the faith to believe God to heal people with colds and flu and sore heads, and then I started to see the Lord answering my prayers of faith, and they grew and grew, and since then I have seen the most incredible miracles taking place, and all the glory to God - blind eyes open, deaf ears unstopped. Oh yes! I have seen them with my eyes and I want to tell you today, you can as well. 

That centurion wasn’t even a Jew, he was a Roman, he was an Italian, but he said, ”You don’t even have to come to my house, just say the word and it will happen.” And so it was. I want to encourage you today to start trusting the Lord for that miracle, for that financial situation, for that relationship in your home, for that sickness, and I’m going to pray for you right now. 

Lord, I pray the prayer of faith over my dear friend listening to this message. Lord, that you will increase their faith, just like the disciples asked you the same thing Lord. They said, “Lord please increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). The Lord is not short that His arm cannot save, He’s not deaf that He cannot hear. Has He not said it, will He not do it. Has He not spoken and will He not make it good?

I want to say to you today that nothing is too hard for God. Start to believe Him by faith.

Jesus bless you and goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Sunday morning, the 28th of July, 2024, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan with a thought for today.

We start in the Book of Job 1:11:

"But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!"

That's what the devil said to the Lord, "The only reason that this farmer, Job, is worshipping You is because You are blessing him, but if You remove that blessing from him, he will curse You to Your face."

And then we go straight to the Book of Luke 6:48:

"He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock."

I want to say to you today that the weather affects the righteous and the unrighteous. So what's the difference? The difference is that Job the farmer, built his house on the rock and the others, the unbelievers, those who mock God, do not trust the Lord. When the storms of life come against them, they crumble and fall. 

Today, my dear friend don't look at the conditions of the weather and I'm not talking about physical only, I'm talking about a situation in your home with maybe sickness, with maybe financial difficulties, maybe problems in the marriage, problems in the workplace. If you have built your house on the rock, like Job did, when the storms of life come against you, you will stand. If you read the whole Book of Job, you will see that at the end of his life the Lord blessed him with exactly double everything that he lost.

Today, keep your eyes on the Lord. Build your house on the Word of God, the Rock. Stand, the storms will come, don't we know it? But the building will not crumble.

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day, 
Goodbye.