Regaining Lost Ground

Shane Idleman: Oh God, fill me afresh! Oh God, restore! I just looked in the Psalms yesterday. Oh God, restore us! Oh God, hear my cry! Oh God, You are my God! Early will I seek You. My soul thirsts for You, like my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land. Oh God, rend the heavens, come down and visit Your people again! Oh God, fill us up! Fill us up, God! Fill us up with more of You!

I'd say you're anti-biblical if you are afraid of that. You don't want to pursue God because it involves emotional engagement. It involves humbling yourself and being desperate for more of God.

Guest (Male): Thank you for joining us here at Westside Christian Fellowship, located in Leona Valley, California, one hour north of Los Angeles. Today on Regaining Lost Ground, we hear the second part of this truthful message titled Why We Can't Always Be Nice. First John 3:18 tells us, "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."

Are you tired of the wokeness of the false churches today? Are you looking to hear truth, unwatered and on fire? Join Pastor Shane as he brings the truth powerfully straight from God's living word, uncompromised. Find out where your faith really lies and why your need for more of God's Spirit is essential in these times.

You can hear the whole message at Pastor Shane's YouTube and Rumble channels. Make sure to subscribe today. For more information, visit us online at westsidechristianfellowship.org. We also encourage you to hear more truth from Pastor Shane with the Idleman Unplugged weekly podcast. And now, from Westside Christian Fellowship in Leona Valley, California, here's Pastor Shane Idleman.

Shane Idleman: George Whitefield, who I love—I have his journals. Wesley, they were circuit riders, and my mom has always told me that my family has a history of being with the Methodist circuit riders. So that's pretty cool. I probably couldn't trace it. But once George Whitefield was really converted—and when you're really converted, you're on fire for God—a lot of the churches, Anglican, were just dead and dry, going through the motions. No conversions, nothing.

So he had the opportunity to preach at one of these churches. A couple of pastors that were lukewarm and probably not saved, to be honest with you—and I've seen this, I've had people treat me this way too, so I know exactly what happened—they told Whitefield, "We are so sorry to see you here." Whitefield responded, "So is the devil." We don't want the truth here. We don't want the boldness here. We don't want to be challenged. We love our darkness; it's comfortable.

So he was a sorcerer. What is that? Magic, divination, spell-casting. Guys, let me tell you this: it is real. Don't play with those things. You have a Ouija board? Go find a fireplace outside and burn it. Tarot cards, dreamcatcher things, whatever. If it doesn't glorify God, it should not be part of your life. I don't want to open a door, but that's what it is. It was demonic enablement. What you do is you open yourself up. Instead of being guided by God's Spirit, now you're being influenced and guided by the enemy.

Demonic. I believe the demon can show people stuff. They go, "Oh, but they knew something about me!" Yeah, the demons have been around a long time. They know things. But do not fear. Here's why you do not fear the demonic: because the demonic fears God. And the Spirit of the living God is within you as a believer. Now, if you're not a believer and you're playing church, be very afraid. Repent immediately and say, "God, I need You. I love You, I want You to save me."

Many don't practice sorcery, but they are entertained by it. I'm going to get in trouble today. I better skip to the next one. It hasn't happened in a while, so praise God. And if you watch this, that's between you and the Lord. But I couldn't believe how many people came against me when I said, "I probably wouldn't watch Twilight and vampires and the occult and Harry Potter." "Pastor, that's getting legalistic." Why does that entertain you?

A lady got all upset at me, a friend of ours. We ended our relationship because of this. When you're on fire for God, many aren't, and they don't like how you live. "Have you even seen it yet?" No, I don't need to see it. So I go to this Redbox—remember those things?—on 30th West and L. Pull out Harry Potter. I put it in there, and there's this guy levitating and this snake going in their mouth. I'm like, "I'm good." I don't need to watch it.

What are you, crazy? Because they're not filled with the Spirit of the living God, they're filled with carnality and lukewarmness and the world. That's the truth, church. It's what you don't want to hear but you need to hear. That's the truth. How can a child of the living God, filled with the Spirit of God, be entertained by darkness? You tell me that. You can't. Stop playing games. Stop calling me legalistic because you're lukewarm.

I prayed over this, guys. You know what I just told somebody? The more time I spend with God, the bolder I become. People have a problem with me, you should read Isaiah. Turn to Jeremiah. Go to the minor prophets. Holy smokes, go to Jesus. "You whitewashed tombs, you're playing games with God. You draw nigh to Me with your lips, but you're far from Me. You're dead inside." Jesus, mild, meek-mannered little Jesus. That's why we can't always be nice.

Now, let me define it. Our goal is to be nice. But if you look up the Webster's definition of nice, it has to do with appeasement. Appeasement means, "I'm not going to say anything because it could hurt your feelings, so I need to be nice." Now, on Thanksgiving, we have family around, it's good to be nice. Don't go into politics and religion and be nice if you want to. It's hard for me, but if you want to. You're quick to listen, you let them speak.

But you can challenge things. God has given us the power of the word. Many fail to confront immorality, witchcraft, sorcery, and sexual perversion, but instead, they find it entertaining. As a result, the church is a mile wide but her foundation is only an inch deep. So when a person is not connected to God, they will be drawn to evil. That's what's happening. We can't always be neutral because evil is not neutral. I cross mine out and put "nice." We can't always be nice because evil is not nice.

Evil's trying to take down your children and your grandchildren and your marriage. Hello? And your walk with the Lord. That's evil's job. It does not slumber; it does not sleep. He goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He's finding many of you sleeping. You might want to wake up, church. Wake up and get filled with the Spirit of God again. That is our only hope. Then Acts continues. Saul, who is also called—this is amazing. Look what comes out of Paul's mouth after he is filled with the Holy Spirit.

Wait a minute, I thought Paul has the Holy Spirit. He does. But the Bible refers to subsequent fillings of the Holy Spirit, or what I actually put as a better word for you since I often use that word: repetitive fillings. So yes, a person has the Holy Spirit, but you can quench and grieve the Spirit by your life. And so you're not walking around full of the Spirit; you're walking around quenching and grieving the Spirit. That's why God seems dead and the Bible seems distant.

That's why you get to church 1.5 times a month, because there's no passion, there's no desire. You're quenching and grieving the Spirit. Even just living, sometimes you're not quenching the Spirit, you're just living. You're going through life, but then there comes a time where you need to confront evil. You feel—many of you can relate—you feel that, "Here we go." I feel it in preaching. Sometimes I don't even want to, like, "Okay Lord, help me out here today."

But then as you start preaching and the word comes alive, you could say Paul being filled and Peter being filled and Shane being filled with the Spirit began to pour out. And you being filled with the Spirit begin to pour out. That's what it is. It's a filling to be bold, not a filling to be quiet. Most pastors would say—I'll just say most people—"Hey, can you keep it down? I'm trying to talk to my friend." "Okay, well, let's sit down and have a conversation. Let's talk about this. Okay, let me hear your side."

"I just want to be loving, I want to be nice. You have good points. I'll listen to you for a while. I want to see where you're coming from." Right? No, Paul. No, he's had enough of this stuff. What's he say? "Oh, full of all deceit and fraud." My goodness, Paul, you're making enemies here. "You son of the devil." Guys, come on, let's be honest. "You enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?" You can call out, "You son of Satan! You better repent! I'm not putting up with your misleading information."

I don't think that's the go-to every time. But there is a time to call things out. It's hard too as a pastor because a lot of times we want to love people. We want to help them. But there is a time—and I'll publicly admit that many times I don't say everything that needs to be said because we don't want to upset. But there just comes a time that you have to be filled with the Spirit and call out things. Whether it's taking a strong stance of love or confronting, being filled always equates to boldness.

I don't want you to think being filled means I'm going to walk around being bold like Pastor Shane said. No, sometimes being filled is being loving and gracious and quick to listen. Go to the hospital homes, you pray with people, you're filled with the Spirit. Your words are loving, they encourage. That's also the filling. The wind blows where it wants when it comes to the Holy Spirit. We can't always be nice because being filled also means being bold. Being nice and being bold, it's different, isn't it? Being nice and being bold: two different things. It's hard to do both.

I should tell this story; it's kind of funny. My wife wasn't going to tell me yesterday, but my two daughters came in and said, "Dad, this guy said some bad things to us at the mall. Mom went and filed a complaint." I'm like, "What store is this? I'm going to go take a drive. I'll be back in a little bit. Can I get more information?" Then I'm at home thinking, "Okay, this pastor gets in a fight before preaching Sunday sermon. Not going to be good." But I couldn't be nice and be bold. How much more when it comes to heavenly things?

Four facts about a fresh filling of the Spirit, which I'm assuming many hearing my voice today or later on need. Many people need a fresh filling of the Spirit. Do you know that? Many in other countries that are being persecuted don't need a fresh filling. But we in America, because complacency leads to apathy, leads to quenching the Spirit. That's why I said earlier I thank God for the wake-up call. I really do. Because it ignited a passion that I haven't felt in 26 years since I first came back to the Lord.

Four facts you need to know: there are repetitive fillings. So it is something I believe to be sought. "Lord, I want to be filled with Your Spirit." And the very thing people need is the very thing they run from. Do you know how many Christians would mock—they're usually conservative churches—"That song 'Fill Me Up, Lord,' that's not biblical, we already have the Holy Spirit." Yeah, we do, but He is sure quenched and grieved in your heart, you critical Carrie and judgmental Jerry. Not you, Carrie, a different one.

But isn't that true? We don't want to sing bad theology. All of our elders look at—and we know—but how is that bad theology? Fill me up, God! Fill me up! You're not saying, "Give me back the Holy Spirit that I lost." You're saying, "Fill me up, fill me afresh! Oh God, fill me afresh! Oh God, restore! I just looked in the Psalms yesterday. Oh God, restore us! Oh God, hear my cry! Oh God, You are my God! Early will I seek You. My soul thirsts for You, like my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land."

"Oh God, rend the heavens, come down and visit Your people again! Fill us up, God! Fill us up with more of You!" I'd say you're anti-biblical if you are afraid of that. You don't want to pursue God because it involves emotional engagement. It involves humbling yourself and being desperate for more of God. And of course, we could get into Paul saying, "Be being filled." The Greek breakdown of that word is a process of be being filled. Don't be drunk with wine, which is the wrong spirit, but be filled.

That's an active verb demonstrating my involvement in something. It's not passive. You can choose to be filled. And here's the second key: desire and pursuit are key. You're about as filled as you want to be. Do you truly desire it? I know, especially men, if somebody told me that in my twenties, I'm like, "No, you guys are weird. That's a weird spirit." But I have no problem going out and acting like the fool, not even knowing what I did that night. "How'd I get home?" But that's cool. Give me a break.

You have to desire it and say, "God..." Who wouldn't want more of God? Talk about demonic deception. If you're not wanting more of God, that's demonic deception. It absolutely is. You're listening to those fiery darts. Repent of that this morning. Desire and pursuit. Did you know you have to pursue God? How many of you did not know you have to pursue God? Okay, good. We're on the right page. It's a pursuit. Is God going to fill you if you're like, "No, I'm good"?

Now, I'm not questioning God's sovereignty. Sometimes He does whatever He wants to do. Jeremiah, I'm going to take this DNA and I'm going to make Jeremiah. You're a prophet. Not much choice there. John the Baptist, filled with the Spirit in his mother's womb. I love God's sovereignty. It doesn't bother me at all. But there's a pursuit in the Bible. If you seek Me—guys, the living God, I'm going to try to settle down. Anybody have any magnesium or melatonin for the second service?

The living God says if you seek Me, you will find Me. Unbelievable! God says if you seek Me, you will find Me. Why doesn't that hit us home, church? Why doesn't it hit us and drop us to our knees? Why? If you seek Me, you will find Me if you turn to Me with all of your heart. God, we need You. Do you see how profound that is? If you seek Me, you will find Me. Why aren't we telling our kids that? And our nation that?

And then pray and prepare. You'll get a fresh filling if you pray and prepare. I still can't get over the fact God says, "Seek Me, you'll find Me," because you're not going to get through life without the Spirit of God indwelling in your heart. How are you going to handle bad news if you're not full of the Spirit? How are you going to handle that, folks? There are things money can't fix. As you get older, things break even more.

Four facts about a fresh filling, number three: they prayed and they prepared. They prayed and prepared. Did you know that they fasted before they were sent out? Fasting was preparation. It filled them. It's hard to defeat darkness if we can't even defeat King Stomach. You know how many people I upset when I say things like this, but I don't care. That's the truth. And I have a King Stomach, so I'm on your side. I shut his mouth though recently for a while, that's for sure.

But he loves to rise again. You have to defeat King Stomach and bring in seasons of prayer and fasting. But Shane, I don't know. Jesus said it. Do you guys know Jesus said it? Not me. When you pray, when you give, when you fast. And that doesn't mean wait until January 1st. I truly believe—here's the other side of it though—you don't want to get weird and legalistic and rigid. Even George Whitefield had a great point when he was trying to find God through all this fasting.

You don't want to turn into that, but there should be a type of discipline. I would say weekly, where I'm going to silence your voice on Friday. And you watch the demonic opposition. You watch how loud—and that's between you and the Lord what that looks like. But there should be seasons. Why? Because you have to regulate. The flesh gets out of control. You say, "Hey, stop it, I'm going to trip you." And it falls, and you get submission again. I discipline my body and I bring it under subjection, lest when I preach to others, I myself should become disqualified, Paul said. So it's a discipline of, "No, I'm not going to go there." You have to silence that voice. Maybe it's just harder for me. Can anybody else relate? You have to silence that voice.

Guest (Male): You've been listening to Regaining Lost Ground with Pastor Shane Idleman. You can find more information at westsidechristianfellowship.org. That's westsidechristianfellowship.org. For all the latest on what God is doing with His ministry here, please be sure to follow us on most social media platforms. Westside Christian Fellowship is located 60 miles north of Los Angeles in Leona Valley, California. Thank you again for listening to today's message of Regaining Lost Ground, where we are reminded daily: times change, truth does not.