When Jesus Cleaves the Sky
Always Preaching the End
I’ve signed a contract for a new project, which will be a couple years in the making. The early stages of research and writing have sent me back to the Azusa Street Revival. It’s where modern Pentecostalism got its start through the ministry of a poor black preacher named William Seymour. Simple prayer meetings in a barn turned into whites and blacks, men and women, young and old speaking in tongues, prophesying, and glorifying God together. And so the world was set on fire.
One of the things that I’ve been convinced of in my own global experience, study, and membership in the Pentecostal movement is that while speaking in tongues often gets the most advertising, that’s not what the spirit of Pentecostalism is really all about. To those who were praying and prophesying in that barn on April 9, 1906 the Spirit’s outpouring meant one thing: Jesus is coming soon. I think they were right.
I’ve made the proclamation of Jesus’s soon coming kingdom the distinctive feature of my own preaching vocation. I’ve a lot to say on that front, but here I just want to share a snippet from the “Apostolic Faith,” the publication put out by the leaders of the Azusa Street Revival in the years after the initial outpouring. I want you to see with your own eyes one example of how Jesus’s return was everything to them.
In Vol. 1 No. 5, there’s a hymn, apparently composed by a “Brother Alfred Beck” that says it all. I recommend reading it out loud because that’s how these words were meant to be heard. And, if anyone feels inspired to put them to music, please share :)
Oh the bliss of that glad moment
When Jesus cleaves the sky;
Then tears and strife and pain shall cease,
Our sorrow turned to joy.
The graves of the righteous dead shall break,
And living saints shall rise;
Together we shall mount the air,
And throng the waiting skies.
Clouds of angels shall come with Him.
Oh the rapturous sight!
As Christ descends to earth again
In heaven's effulgent light.
He who came from heaven before
To suffer, bleed, and die,
Now comes in majesty to reign,
The Lord of earth and sky.
The bloodwashed saints in robes of light
With bodies glorified,
With glad hosannas on their lips
Shall then be Jesus' bride.
The cross laid down, our burdens gone,
The crown of life we'll wear,
And standing close by Jesus' side,
His glory we shall share.
The marriage supper shall begin,
The marriage bells shall ring;
Angels and archangels shout,
And help the saints to sing.
The praises of Immanuel
Who died for Adam's race,
Who purchased such ecstatic joys
For sinners saved by grace.
O God, how wonderful it seems
That Thou shouldst deign to call
From out of earth's dark race of men
A bride for Thy dear Son.
Our hearts rejoice to think, dear Lord,
That Thou wilt soon appear,
We read the signs in earth and sky,
And know that Thou art near.
Amen, e'en so, dear Lord, we say,
Come Jesus, quickly come,
And end the awful conflict here,
And take Thy loved ones home.
My brothers, we may hear the cry,
Before this meeting end,
"Jesus is here!" "Arise, my love,
And to thy Lord ascend."
Our prayers shall then be turned to praise,
And faith shall end in sight;
What bliss to see His blessed face!
What infinite delight!1
Unrelatedly,
I have a new book out. Here’s what Kevin Hargaden, the director of the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice in Dublin, Ireland has to say about it:
Resurrecting Worship tells a story we need to hear—how congregations are revitalized in today’s culture. My approach to leadership in my own local church has been indelibly impacted by Joseph Lear’s reflections. Grounded in the Pentecostal tradition but applicable across Christian denominations, this book offers more than a roadmap for numerical renewal; it invites Christians into a deeper, theologically rich practice of worship. By returning to the essentials of Trinitarian, Eucharistic, and Spirit-led liturgy, the author demonstrates how authentic worship not only sustains faith communities but breathes new life into the mission of the church. This is a profound testimony of how faithful, intentional worship can reawaken the church’s call to justice, compassion, and discipleship, while pointing the way toward a kingdom-oriented future. Church leaders seeking both spiritual depth and practical guidance will find in these pages hope for a slow burning, yet powerful revival.
https://objectstorage.us-phoenix-1.oraclecloud.com/n/ax22fojcamx7/b/PDFs/o/Historical%2FAzusa-Paper-05.pdf