Come of Age

Angus Buchan

Description

Angus Buchan has shot to international attention in the wake of the book and film FAITH LIKE POTATOES. He has filled the largest stadia in South Africa to capacity; he has spoken to large gatherings in Britain and Australia. But behind the scenes remains a South African farmer, still working with his sons to run the family farm, still seeking to remain obedient to God's voice. He has found a particular ministry to men, holding many rallies specifically for men and proving capable of communicating with ordinary blokes who would never get closer to a church than the car park. He has also continued with his work as an international evangelist, travelling out from his base in South Africa to run rallies in rural communities and to work with local leaders. The underlying theme of this book and of Angus's life: celebrating the God who changes lives.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Christianity

Informations

• Publié par: Lion Hudson
• Date de parution: 22 avril 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780857210821
• Langue: English

Extrait

C OME OF A GE
Angus Buchan

Oxford, UK & Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
Copyright 2011 by Angus Buchan
The right of Angus Buchan to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
First published in the UK in 2011 by Monarch Books (a publishing imprint of Lion Hudson plc), Wilkinson House, Jordan Hill Road, Oxford OX2 8DR. Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] Email: [e-mail] www.lionhudson.com
First published in South Africa in 2010 by Maranatha Christian Publishing.
ISBN: 978-0-85721-021-0 (print) ISBN: 978-0-85721-082-1 (epub) ISBN: 978-0-85721-081-4 (Kindle) ISBN: 978-0-85721-083-8 (PDF)
Distributed by: UK: Marston Book Services Ltd, PO Box 269, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4YN; USA: Kregel Publications, PO Box 2607, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49501
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, NKJV, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., unless otherwise indicated. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan and Hodder & Stoughton Limited. All rights reserved. The NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society. UK trademark number 1448790. Quotations marked KJV are from the Authorized Version of the Bible (The King James Bible), the rights in which are vested in the Crown, and are reproduced by permission of the Crown s Patentee, Cambridge University Press. Quotations marked NASB taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE , Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
British Library Cataloguing Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Cover image courtesy of the author.
This book is dedicated to those who have lost their way.
Also by Angus Buchan
Books
Faith Like Potatoes
Aartappelgeloof
The Seed Sower
Jesus a farmer and miracles
Is Jesus Enough?
Hard-core Christianity
Passing the Baton
A Farmer s Year
Daaglikse geloof
A Mustard Seed
n Mosterdsaad
Fathers and Sons
Pa en seun
A People Saturated with God
MMC 08 Coffee Table Book
MMC 09 Coffee Table Book
Grassroots Volume 1
DVDs
Faith Like Potatoes
MMC series
Grassroots series
Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Also by Angus Buchan

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Preface

1. Come of age

2. There’s no fool like an old fool

3. Who will be at your graveside?

4. The marriage feast

5. Time

6. Revelation

7. Times of testing

8. Long-range planning

9. No regrets

10. The fear of God

11. Punishment vs chastening

12. Comrades

13. Sufferance

14. Poverty

15. Speak your heart

16. How the mighty have fallen

17. Patience

18. The Weather Man

19. The watchman

20. Nothing will be impossible for you

21. Taking your responsibility seriously

22. Flying from the nest

23. Unconventional people

24. Being rather than doing

25. Bitter-sweet

26. Let the young men speak

27. New ideas

28. The reality of God

29. Revival

30. First things first

31. I believe in miracles

32. Turnaround

33. Losing the way

34. People

Epilogue: Coming to the best stretch

Photo Section
Acknowledgments

I want to thank God for Ann Roux who, once again, has edited this book to the best of her ability, even in the face of really trying times with her husband Pete not being at all well. Thank you so much, Ann. Thank you for your standard of excellence that has made it possible for this book to be printed.
I also want to thank God our Heavenly Father for Yvonne Ashwell, who has once again painstakingly typed out the rough manuscript of this book for me. Well done, Yvonne! Thank you for being a true friend and for always finding the heart in the book. I really appreciate you, Les and Duane.
My thanks to Patrick Royal for the magnificent photographs you have provided. As always, the quality of work that you produce, time after time, is truly wonderful.
I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to Rod and Lyn Samouilhan of Pinetown Printers, who are becoming more friends of mine than business partners.
Thank you, Jilly Hull (my youngest daughter), for your painstakingly hard work, and for your ability to finish the things that your dad starts. I don t know what I d do without you.
Lastly, I want to say to my dear wife, Jill. Thank you, Jill, for believing in God in me. Surely I would not even be alive - I don t think - to write this very book if it had not been for your love and your commitment to God to look after me, and to try and tie me down to rest. I really do love and appreciate you. As I have come of age, I appreciate you so much more now than I did when I first met you all those decades ago.
Most of all, I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for giving me the privilege of being able to share this story with His children, many of whom are still groping with that coming-of-age phenomenon.
Foreword

Hi, hello, hello! That you, Tortoise? Where you been? Haven t been able to get hold of you!
Hello Buchan-Hare, I ve been here all the time. Good to hear you!

The Buchan-Hare saga started many years ago. Buchan-Hare always in a hurry; Tortoise trailing behind, being told to get moving.
Angus and I have travelled this road together over many years, from soon after we met at the church we were both attending.
Angus and Jill were soon to be hailed as a couple of worth, Angus rising to the rank of elder soon after joining. The leadership quality in him was soon recognized.
On Angus second campaign, which was to Port Elizabeth, I went along as a member of the team with not the foggiest idea of what was expected of me, or what I had to do. I think that applied to the rest of the team as well. We were put out onto the streets to learn many lessons, which prepared us for all the other campaigns that Angus conducted.
It s amazing, the first attempt is the one by which you learn the most. Probably because that s where you experience the hard knocks!
The road we travelled sometimes reminded me of an old Ford car going over smooth roads, then hitting the rocks and the dongas (large potholes) with many bangs, squeaks and splutterings. Then hitting the slippery uphills, but always reaching the top - always a climax to end with. People being saved, healed, and encouraged. It did as much for the team as it did for the people being prayed for.
Yes! God s hand has truly been with Angus. To stand by as an observer of the miracles that have taken place has been a lifetime experience for me. I wouldn t have missed it for anything the world could offer me. I have lived in a different dimension, for which I thank my Lord and Saviour.
I attended the 2009 Men s Conference on the Sunday. We were in a car parked a distance from the platform, but could see and hear clearly. The two screens were in full view. I saw Angus approach the microphone and I heard him say, I have come of age. It was a statement he made. It hit me like a ton of bricks, because then and there I realized that I too, like Angus, had come of age.
I pray that this book, written from the heart of my spiritual son, Angus, will change the heart of every man and woman and child who reads it. It is written through real-life experiences.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
Peggy O Neill
Preface

This has been a very exciting book for me to write! It s almost like scales have fallen from my eyes since the incident where I collapsed under the stage at the 2009 Mighty Men Conference on Shalom Farm. It s like a strange warmth has come over my heart (John Wesley) and I have seen life and the preciousness of life in a completely new dimension. I can honestly say, maybe unfortunately, that there is no short cut to getting this view of the real savouring and taste of precious life, except by going through hardship and literally staring death in the face.
I thank God for every experience that I ve had which has brought me to the stage of my life where I believe I have really come of age.
What a fearful thing it must be for someone who s maturing in life and yet has not met the Master face to face! When I was lying, totally immobile, on that lawn and could not move and could not speak, I could see everything and I could hear everything. There was no fear in my heart.
One of the greatest compliments my family has been paid came from the paramedic Hans Hartmann, who was on the scene at the time with the doctors and many others. He said that he has never, in all his twenty-odd years of medical crisis work, seen such peace and calmness and total control upon a whole family that is standing by and watching their loved one coming as it were, to the end of the road. Again, we give all the praise to our blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ.
As I write this preface, I m walking around the farm which my sons now own and run. I am truly and utterly fulfilled. I am ready at any time to meet my Maker. But I am also quite content to stay on earth for as long as He needs me here. Paul said: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:20, KJV). Very humbly, I want to say that that s exactly how I feel at this time in my life. I ve come of age a