by T. Austin-Sparks
Chapter 18 - "My Spirit... Upon You"
2 March 1957, at Shanchunpoo, Taiwan.
May I just read a word to you from the prophecy of Isaiah 59:21: "As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and My words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever." These are the words that I want to leave with you this morning before we leave.
I like so much the words, "My Spirit" and in the New Testament it is called "the Spirit of Jesus" and that very much gives it expression. Just think of this Spirit in Jesus... we have heard these words so often, "My Spirit," but we do not always have the inner feeling of what a tremendous thing this "My Spirit" is. You cannot enlarge upon those two words, "My Spirit". You know, just before this we heard about Bethany, and the next thing we hear about is "My Spirit coming upon thee" and then "My words which I have put in thy mouth". "My words"! It is a tremendous thing to be a servant of the Lord. It is "thy mouth," but it is His words. This is the meaning of service: His Spirit, His words, and our mouth... and the promise is that that will be so "from henceforth and forever".
Father, we do want this place to be a Bethany, in spirit and in truth; such a place for Thee, a place for Thy Spirit in fullness, a place for Thy words in fullness. And we lay hold of this promise from the prophet, we commit this place again to Thee, Father. Never let Thy Spirit, or Thy words depart from Thy servants, that this place may be a place for the outflowing of Thy Spirit and Thy words, and make Thy servants here as Thine own mouth. We do thank Thee for this brief moment with Thy dear children here. We have felt refreshed to be in this place of fellowship in this way. Now we want to have responsibility in the Lord. Do enlarge our hearts to remember one another before Thy Throne and cause all of us to live a life like that in Bethany. And we thank Thee for the promise that you have reminded us of, that Thou art coming. We will use what is left of the day for Thee and we will prepare ourselves to meet Thee Lord, and to prepare us to meet again. So we thank Thee and go on rejoicing in Thee, and in Thy Spirit, and in the true fellowship that all of us may just bring joy and bring glory to Thy Holy Name. Amen.
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