A California pastor is on a mission to inspire Christians to turn their attention to what matters most.
Shane Idleman, pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Leona Valley, California, is planning to hold a church service Halloween night — and then every evening thereafter for the next week.
Listen to the latest episode of CBN’s Quick Start podcast 👇
“Rend the Heavens” is an event Idleman and his church started last year in an effort to spiritually break through the chaos and consternation tearing apart contemporary culture.
“It’s where we meet every quarter or so for the whole week,” Idleman told CBN’s Faithwire. “We just meet for two to three-hour church services. We understand that desperate times call for desperate measures.”
The preacher said it’s time for the broader Christian church to “start being the church again,” imploring people to take part in prayer, revival, and fasting — actions he said America desperately needs.
“That’s the only thing that’s going to really change our nation, so we launched it on Halloween a year ago,” Idleman said of “Rend the Heavens.” “We’re gonna launch it on Halloween again.”
Watch Idleman’s powerful explanation:
Last year, he said people showed up for the event, which he called deeply powerful.
“[People are] hungry for more of God … Obviously, Halloween is more of a dark holiday and it’s our response to come and worship the King of Kings,” Idleman said, noting his church is in the Los Angeles area, one of the “darkest spots in our nation.” “We’re bringing the light, so it’s encouraging.”
“Rend the Heavens” is an idea birthed from Isaiah 64, where the prophet calls out to the Lord, imploring Him to “rend the heavens” and come down to visit His people again. Before creating the event, Idleman said he found himself wondering why he and his church couldn’t make the same ask.
“I was thinking, ‘Hey, if the prophet can cry that, why can’t we cry that?'” he said. “The only hope for our nation right now is another spiritual [revival]. People are talking about a red wave in 2022, but we need the crimson blood of Jesus Christ right now.”
Idleman said revival is the motivation behind “Rend the Heavens,” an effort to bring believers together each night to “seek the heart of God” and not to simply rush through a church service. He said “deep humility and repentance” is what our culture and world require.
The preacher said last year’s events were phenomenal, with the services having a positive impact on those who participated.
“There’s a desperation, there’s an urgency, there’s an appetite — those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” Idleman said. “We saw people set free, marriages restored, addictions broken, and it’s pretty amazing.”
In a culture of anger and furor, Idleman said the answer is always Jesus. Rather than taking our frustration out in the wrong places or giving up, he called people to pray, go to church, and seek the Lord.
“Here’s how I fight my battles: with my face on that altar,” he said. “And that’s really what we’re supposed to do with anger — take it to the Lord and then let him propel us and make a difference.”
Find out more about “Rend the Heavens” here.
***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***