Theodore Austin-Sparks . . 1889-1971
It seems fitting, as the church made its way from the fervency of the Philadelphian era to the indifference and lukewarmness of Laodicia, that God would raise up a voice such as his with a message for the day.
Gene Edward of Seed Sowers remarks: - "T. Austin-Sparks was one of the great spiritual figures of he twentieth century . . . When the measure of a man’s ministry is taken as to how much he exalted Christ, then T. Austin-Sparks is without peer. . . . . . the golden cord which ran through all his works was the exaltation of his Lord, . . . . To read Sparks is to discover Christ as few men have ever known him.
This presentation of his Lord would be enough to make Sparks ministry unique, but Sparks went on to join the Head to the body (Christ and the church). As surely as his spoken and written ministry exalted the Lord, so also Sparks called forth an almost forgotten centrality of the Church. . . . ."
Three Brothers have this to say - "'Mr. Sparks', as he was affectionately known, began his long life of Christian service as a Baptist pastor in England, soon coming to be much in demand as a preacher of the Gospel. He also rose to prominence for his interest in and support of evangelistic efforts and missionary outreach. His career, however, took a sharp turn when a physical crisis brought him to a place of inward brokenness and deliverance from his strong prejudice against anything relating to the 'deeper life.' As a result, he joined Jesse Penn-Lewis in her ministry for the spiritual growth of believers, a ministry to which he devoted the remainder of his life and which cost him his reputation and his career in the denominational circles of England. As his teaching began to find acceptance among the Lord's people who were apprehended for the fullness of Christ, its value opened doors worldwide for his messages in both spoken and written form, including the little magazine A Witness and A Testimony, which he edited for approximately 50 years."
A personal testimony:
"Years ago I was unquestionably stretched out to the full for God's best (as I trust I am now), and there was no doubt whatever as to my devotion to the Lord. I was right in the full tide of every kind of evangelical activity, and especially in conventions everywhere for the deepening of spiritual life. I was a member of many Missionary Boards and Committees, and was greatly in demand because it was believed that I was a man with a message. This is putting into very few words an immense amount of truly devoted activity and concern for the Lord's interests. Being a man of prayer, I was open to the Lord for all His will, I believed. But there was a certain realm of things against which I was deeply prejudiced. It was really the very essence of the original 'Keswick' teaching, but I would not have it at any price. I fought it and those who taught it. To make a long story short, the Lord took me seriously in hand along another line, and brought me into great spiritual distress. The very thing that proved my emancipation was that which I would not formerly have touched for anything. That proved the key to a fuller life and a worldwide ministry. I came to see that my judgment had been wholly wrong, and that I was blinded by prejudice. I believed that I was honest and right, and seemed to have evidence of it; but no, I was, in my ignorance, shutting out something which was of great value to the Lord and to myself. Thank God for the grace to be perfectly honest when the fact of prejudice was brought home to my heart.... No man is infallible, and no one has yet 'apprehended' nor is 'yet perfect.' Many godly men have had to adjust in the presence of fuller light given when a sense of need made such necessary." - July, 1946
The following sites contain information and messages on the ministry of this faithful servant. The list is provided with thanks to those who have labored to make these materials available to the saints, and the hope that others may come to experience the fullness of His blessings as He wants us to.
Austin-Sparks.Net - The online library of T.Austin-Sparks.
Dimensions of Truth: Kingdom Bible Studies - Contains numerous messages by T. Austin Sparks.
'Oscar 51' - View past copies of Witness and Testimony, along with numerous messages by T. Austin Sparks.
For free reprints of Sparks books and pamphlets contact:
Emanuel Church
12000 E 14th St
Tulsa, OK 74128-5016
918-838-1385, or 918-437-7064
Fax: 918-836-5376
Sparks Tape Ministry
PO Box 2434
Suger Land, TX, 77487-2434
Fax: 281-242-4630
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