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