May you hear the Master’s voice through His servant. On the way to Emmaus, two followers of Jesus pondered. “Did not our hearts burn within us, while He talks to us by the way.” Our Creator loves us inside and out and He bids us. “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” Our Lord moves NOT through man’s theology — our Savior moves through our personal cardiology. ❤️ May the readers of this post open their mind to enjoying a deep spiritual surgery. Listen to what the Spirit of God is saying in these collected words of a Scot named James M’Kendrick. In 1925, the blessing of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit rested abundantly on the pen of James. These divine stories were translated into Chinese and Watchman Nee wrote the foreward. “I have read the biographies of many to include Finney, Moody, Sunday and others. I particularly love “Seen and Heard,” because M’Kendrick admitted that he did not possess the gift of Gospel preaching.” James simply submitted to the Spirit and yielded himself to do God’s work. Biographies render the reader much joy in their spirit-knower. We are all equally endowed and endorsed by God to tell our personal story of the moment we were impaled by truth and forever changed for His glory. Blessed be the name of Jesus.
After the Holy Spirit enters you, many may avoid you. Dont take it personally, Jesus kept spreading the gift of salvation to all with ears to hear. Truth evasion is their effort to preserve their belief that God does not exist. Those who accept the Word of God are given a new heart and the mind of Christ. “I urge you to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the TEACHING you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are NOT serving our LORD CHRIST, but their OWN APPETITES. By smooth talk and flattery, they can DECEIVE themselves and the minds of NAIVE people.”
James never mentioned his soul concern to anyone. The religious phase of his childhood as a coal miner’s son was just ordinary to most Scotch kids. We attend church as duty, commit to memory a few Scriptures. At age 20, James believed in God and in the truth of the Bible, but he also knew he was not saved. He knew with certainty that he was unfit to face death and eternity. Like many sinners, James hoped that in his final breath, he could simply pray: “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” This mere hope is NOT a BELIEF in the power of the blood to save. WARNING: “Dear friends, do NOT believe every spirit, but TEST the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many FALSE prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the SPIRIT of GOD: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does NOT acknowledge Jesus is NOT from God. This is the spirit of the ANTICHRIST, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. This is how we know that we live in HIM and HE in us: HE has given us of HIS Spirit.” 1 John 4:1 👌 WOW!
We are wise to get alone with God and pray. To abide in Him with moral mercy, excellence, goodness, humility, righteousness, grace, and forgiveness, we must FOLLOW His example and submit daily. The Holy Spirit equips us to endure loss, to suffer well, and to surrender our will to the Father’s. Our Father invites us to question Him. Peter questioned Jesus and was told that he must die to his old self daily by giving up his limited understanding, and follow Jesus in the Way. James M’Kendrick knew that he had NOT fully believed to clearly OBEY the Word of God. “But IF you do NOT forgive others their sins against you, neither will your Father forgive your sins.” Matt 6:15
James outlines three close calls with an eternity in the flames. During each event, he only hoped he would not die. After his dad was killed in the mine on May 16, 1881, God’s plan of salvation emerged from memory. John 3:16 broke through his flesh and into his failing spirit. The Holy Spirit led him step by step, convincing James of his need to confess his sins. A tremendous pressure inside echoed this thought. “IF I die as I am, I shall die without Christ!” James confides, “being born again was not an experience that I personally knew anything about.” In the depth of a bitterly cold, dark mine in the rugged city of Old Carnbroe, in Lanarkshire, Scotland—James had listened to the voices that mocked God. He felt very disappointed that their arguments against God lacked a convincing foundation. “I had often wished that the Bible could be proven untrue so that I might believe that God did not exist. That a eternal hereafter in fire was a lie. Without God, death was a goal instead of a gateway into eternity. But after my dad’s sudden death, my conscience refused to be quiet. The silly arguments I had entertained left me stricken and trembling. “IF I die as I am, I shall die without Christ.” James who had once flattered himself that he was just as good as any follower of Jesus, and even a great deal better than many. His prideful refuge crumbled under the weight of God’s pressing Spirit. “I am was speaking.”
Thinking of the terrible truth that he was destined to hell with the Way to heaven memorized in his head, the lake of fire gave James the righteous fear of God at His Word. John 3:16 banged inside his heart. “If God loves the world, then God loves me. If Jesus died for the world, the Savior died for me, too. Thoughts of the cross, His thorny crown piercing His head, His willing, intense suffering for me. His impaled hands and feet, His pierced side oozing His life’s blood. The impact of God’s Word. “Whomever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” A bolt of light ladened with God’s love met the need of my wretched, poor, sin-burdened soul. Amen
On the eve of his conversion, James hurried down the lane to tell his weeping, sorrow filled mother. “Your prayers were answered! I am saved by the grace of God. This was the very night before his dad’s burial. His acceptance of Jesus as his Savior was a shared gleam of light in the darkness. Their mutual joy burst forth in an hour of great sadness. James opened his Bible and read John 3:16 repeatedly. It served to dispel the gloom and ushered James into the clarity of full assurance. God’s full, free, perfect gift of eternal salvation delivered. James was compelled to tell his mining companions. Tears of joy flowing, he recounted his testimony with zeal. “Let no heart attempt to be a secret disciple of our Lord Jesus.”
On February 12, 2025, my hand-held copy of “Seen and Heard” arrived. The bio of James M’Kendrick was mentioned in a book by Watchman Nee, “Releasing of the Spirit.” It was one biographical scketch that indeed inspired a revival in China in the 1920’s. The Spirit of God woke me. Warrior’s for the Kingdom of God stand in victory over the plots of the devil. We are not lukewarm, fence-sitting apostates crippled in fear. As chosen Ambassadors of the King of kings, we are equipped with mighty authority to pull down strongholds. With great power, we eradicate the global-cultural-invader Satan! He has been the oppressor through the prince of the air. His narrative of division has been canceled! United in Christ, we stand victorious! The once oppressed people of God have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the power of our testimony.
READ 1 John chapters 3 and 4 — “All who have this HOPE in JESUS purify themselves, just as HE is pure. No one who continues to sin has either seen HIM or known HIM. We purify ourselves by repentance. Do all Christ followers stay on the straight path and find the narrow gate? Seek, find truth, and rest assured and secured in holiness. We are an army, not an audience. We are freedom fighters and equipped from on High. Take heed, watch, and pray.
“Seen and Heard” is a book that played a significant role in the development of the Christian faith in China, particularly through its connection to Watchman Nee, a prominent Chinese Christian leader and church leader in the early 20th century. Watchman Nee (1903-1972) was a Chinese Christian author and preacher who founded 200 churches in China. After “Seen and Heard” was translated into Chinese and distributed, the conversion stories resonated deeply with the spiritual and social landscapes of China during the tumultuous times of the early 20th century. Jesus was Seen and Heard through the emphasized importance of submitting to God daily. Readers found hope as it inspired believers to seek genuine experiences of faith rather than mere religious practices. The book helped foster a sense of belonging and mutual encouragement among Christians in China. The enduring impact of “Seen and Heard” extended beyond its immediate influence. Later generations were shaped by the power of the contained testimony.
The highest consciousness a person can obtain is to be like minded with God. Jesus Christ did NOT please Himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on Me.” For everything that was written in the past was written to TEACH us, so that through the ENDURANCE taught in the SCRIPTURES and the encouragement they provide that we might have HOPE. May the GOD who gives ENDURANCE and encouragement GIVE you the same ATTITUDE of MIND toward each other that Christ Jesus had. With ONE MIND and one VOICE you may GLORIFY the GOD and FATHER of our Lord JESUS Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. May the GOD of HOPE fill you with all JOY and PEACE as you trust in HIM, so that you may OVERFLOW with HOPE by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT.” Romans 15
Living Abroad 