The Fire Is Falling in SoCal and Hearts Are Being Transformed
God clearly began something on May 30th and rocked our world on April 6th — the intensity of the services has been overwhelming at times. The feedback coming in (not just from the United States) is also overwhelming. Here is just one of over a dozen in the last few days:
“My young son sat with me in the overflow cuz he wasn’t feeling great so yesterday was the first time he’s sat in the ‘adult service.’ I looked over and he was crying. I asked if he was ok and his response through quivering lips was, ‘I’m not crying because I’m sad, I’m crying because I’m happy’ … His little heart was so moved by yesterday’s sermon. God is really doing a new thing.”
On Wednesday, a family from India flew in to visit us, and each Sunday, others are coming from as far as NorCal, the Inland Empire, and Orange County, etc. Although it doesn’t look exactly like what I envisioned, we are experiencing what we’ve been praying about for years. God is reviving, awakening, shattering, rebuilding, and renewing.
Our Response Reveals
The reason for this correspondence is simple: No matter where you’re at in your faith journey, I want to encourage you to reignite that passion and begin coming again on Sundays and Wednesdays (even consider the prayer meetings at 7:30 am Sunday and 5:30 pm Wednesday, and 6 am worship on Sundays).
I’m not concerned about numbers (we lose people every month who don’t like our passion for more of God — there is always a word spoken against revival), I’m concerned about people dying spiritually with Living Water just steps away.
How we respond to our spiritual need reveals our heart: Are we prideful and defensive, or are we humble, broken, and receptive to go deeper? These are precious moments at Westside Christian Fellowship — moments in time where we capture the heart of God. Arthur Wallis once said that spiritual pressure must be maintained before there is a breakthrough in heavenly warfare.
- If you’re worn out and weary, get here.
- If you’ve been distant and disgruntled, get here.
- If you’re dealing with struggles and strongholds, get here.
Are You Too Busy to Drink?
I once shared that one of the most difficult challenges associated with pastoring is not sermon preparation or taxing appointments, but witnessing the tragic results of spiritual dehydration — again, people dying spiritually with Living Water within reach. This lack of fervency is reflected in the short poem by Wilbur Reese:
“I would like to buy three dollars' worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk, or a snooze in the sunshine…I want ecstasy, not transformation. I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy three pounds of God, please.”
The excuses as to why we don’t seek God more fervently are broad, but the solution is narrow: WE MUST BE MIGHTILY FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT. Sadly, because of compromise, pride, and busyness, very few are truly hungry and thirsty for God.
On this point, Gene Easley’s words cut deep: “We’ll have Church when God comes, but not until then. All of our religious activities mean nothing without His hallowed presence.”
Easley concludes, “The dilemma that brings us shame is that we have learned how to have church as usual whether He is here or not. The week is full of activities — we know how to keep the programs going. We know how to play our part. The machinery continues to operate, but the mountains won’t move until He comes.”
Our prayer must be: “Oh God, fill us again and begin in me!” Break me in order to remake me.
Do You Truly Want Revival?
I know many have read this before, but I want to share it again: Well over a decade ago, I prayed, “Lord, bring revival to the churches,” but I was not ready for the response that followed. After I prayed, it was almost as if God was saying:
“You don’t want revival — it will ruin your schedule, your dignity, your image, and your reputation as a person who is ‘well balanced.’ Men will weep throughout the congregation. Women will wail because of the travail of their own souls. Young adults will cry like children at the magnitude of their sin. With the strength of My presence, the worship team will cease playing. Time will seem to stand still. You won’t be able to preach because of the emotions flooding your own soul. You’ll struggle to find words, but only find tears. Even the most dignified and reserved among you will be broken and humbled as little children. The proud and self-righteous will not be able to stand in My presence. The doubter and unbeliever will either run for fear or fall on their knees and worship Me — there can be no middle ground. The church will never be the same again.”
Do you truly want a spiritual awakening where the Holy Spirit consumes your heart? The very thing that many need is the very thing that they are running from: More of God!
Related Article: Pastor Shares What Happened after He Asked God to Bring Revival
*The opinions in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Crosswalk Headlines.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/Hannah Busing
The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.
Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Southern California and the WCF Radio Network. More can be found at ShaneIdleman.com. Free downloads of his eBooks can be found at www.WCFAV.org. Visit him on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to his new podcast, Idleman Unplugged. You can also follow Pastor Shane on the free speech platform Parler.
Originally published May 16, 2025.
