Book Notes on 'The Life of James O. Fraser'
James O. Fraser - the tall white man in traditional Chinese attire in the back row
The Power of a Gospel Tract
In 1906, at age 20, James Outram Fraser, born into a wealthy British family and skilled in mathematics and music, was deeply moved by a gospel tract a classmate gave him. A short passage grabbed his heart and turned his life around:
If our Lord were to return today, and found millions and billions who have not heard the Gospel, constantly seeking yet not finding, He would certainly question us and ask us to answer. I really don’t know how we would answer. But one thing I am certain of is that most of the excuses we are used to making now will surely make us utterly ashamed.
After graduating college, Fraser immediately applied to the China Inland Mission founded by Hudson Taylor. He was drawn to how this mission approached funding: it never asked anyone for money, never solicited, never complained, and relied solely on God.
Paying the Price for Faith
Fraser, full of knowledge and coming from the civilized city of London, stepped into the wild and undeveloped Lisu areas of Yunnan, China. He had to give up what he had learned in England for this mission. In the Lisu regions, the primitive, dirty living conditions, external survival dangers (like being hunted), the very different food habits (even other Chinese people would struggle), and living conditions (like sleeping on the mud), language barriers, and feelings of physical and spiritual loneliness (he was alone in preaching for a long time), the Lisu people’s rebelliousness (quick to believe, quick to betray), the long-term lack of results from evangelizing (five years in China with little to show), and even the misunderstanding from family, friends, and other missionaries (mocked by his brother upon their first meeting in years) were the prices he paid for faith and the Gospel.
Compared to this, our faith lives—our generation’s faith lives, whether in the city or countryside, especially city folks—are far too easy. We need a heart willing to pay the price.
Spreading the Gospel Everywhere
Fraser preached the gospel everywhere he went, seizing every opportunity. He loved striking up conversations with strangers, was willing to walk for days to remote mountain villages to share God’s message. His care for others, like helping an injured child beaten badly and carrying her to safety, showed the Lisu people something different about him.
He had come for the Lisu people’s faith in Jesus; this was the Great Commission’s burden on his shoulders. As he wrote in his diary, he hoped every Christian could feel such a burden. I truly owe a debt to the Gospel.
The Power of Prayer
Even with a busy life preaching, Fraser still devoted the best parts of his day to prayer. He wrote: In the past, I thought the first was prayer, the second was teaching. Now I think, first is prayer, second is prayer, third is prayer, and only fourth is teaching.
While recovering in Shanghai, Fraser formed a close friendship with D. E. Hoste, one of the ‘Cambridge Seven’ and then the director of the China Inland Mission. Hoste told Fraser that “praying more can save you time and energy; not praying leads to wasting time and energy.” Deeply influenced by Hoste, Fraser would pray with him daily for hours.
One of Fraser’s prayer methods was writing prayer topics down like sermon outlines before praying. This really is a good method.
The Power of Intercession
At the time, the Lisu region was overflowing with idol worship and superstition, and Fraser, alone, needed partners. Even though the China Inland Mission supported him, they couldn’t send partners. So Fraser wrote to his mother in London, asking local Christians to form a committed prayer team.
Fraser regularly updated the prayer team on his work’s progress and state, both wins and losses, ensuring they were emotionally connected to his service among the Lisu. He often expressed that his work with the Lisu was inseparable from the prayer team.
The book details an event that deeply moved me. Letters from Fraser to London took about six weeks to arrive. Often, the prayer team was praying about things that had already happened. Yet, Fraser encouraged them to keep praying and saw the effects of their prayers.
God’s Power
In Fraser’s first five years in Yunnan, there was little measurable success. During those times of despair, even contemplating suicide, he ultimately resisted the Devil using Biblical words.
Afterward, like a farmer, he worked, sowed seeds, and watered the mission fields, but was unclear about when the harvest would come, needing patience.
Finally, a wave of gospel revival came. Initially, Fraser intended just to revisit Tancha, a place he’d served, and move on if nothing changed. But his “casual” visits brought a revival: families and villages turned to faith, abandoning and burning their idols.
The resurgence described in the book was heartening and inspiring for those in the future. Returning to reality, current times, and my personal life, I often don’t see such displays of God’s power. Why? Sometimes it even leads to discouragement, disappointment, and doubt.
But Fraser’s testimony offers me great encouragement: Don’t lose heart, maintain faith in God; work, sow, and water patiently like a farmer as we wait for the harvest.
Don’t Overlook the Devil’s Influence
In the Lisu region, every household had idol altars. In such an environment, Fraser’s work directly confronted the Devil. He sought to claim souls from Satan. Often, the Lisu would waver in faith: accept Jesus, abandon idols, then turn back again. Throughout, Fraser frequently invoked Jesus to cast out demons.
As a Christian, my life feels normal (I believe many Christians are like me). There are challenges: work difficulties, interpersonal relationships, family dynamics, health issues, etc. We tend to entrust these to prayer, and it seems God accomplishes it.
But prayer seems aimed at solving real-world issues, not as Ephesians 6:12 puts it, “against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
I wonder, is it that there is no “spiritual battle,” or are we just deceived? When sharing the gospel with my parents fails, I claim there is no Devil’s power, but my mother secretly worships idols. This also applies to me: when feeling empty or depressed, it’s actually Satan’s deceit.
Ephesians 6:11 (NIV): “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
Amen.
Appendix: Introducing James O. Fraser (Encyclopedia)
James Outram Fraser (1886–September 25, 1938), also translated as “Fuleise,” was a British missionary with the China Inland Mission and known as the “Apostle to the Lisu.” He created the old Lisu script and lived, evangelized, and served among the Lisu people on China’s Yunnan frontier for nearly 30 years, ultimately giving his life for them.