Welcome to healing the land with Kevin Mitschelen brought to us by pure assembly.
Well, I am so glad that you're able to be a part of this show, once again, it's just been fun to be able to hear you're on, by the way, you're on the healing the land, this is Kevin Mitschelen, it's been so great to hear different people respond about the program and talking about healing on the land. And so I am excited that, that you're with us tonight, or whenever you're able to, maybe you're hearing this on the internet or what have you. So but I'm just so grateful that you're, you're, you're able to that we're able to reach you, and we'd love to be able to have you reach us back as well. So all you have to do is go to pure assembly.com to do that. But before we go too much, I have a really good friend of mine. His name is Fred Everett's and he is going to be we're going to be speaking to one another and really kind of I'm just excited to hear his his heart for the Lord. But before we do that, Fred, could I, I love that you are also a prayer warrior. And you you just, I normally ask people quite the question on the program, do you love the Lord. And I love the fact that your response, we were talking about that prior to the show. And your response was, Well, I'm not sure if I should be here.
Right if I don't let the Lord. But if we get to hear your heart, and your love for the Lord, and if we just go to the Lord and prayer, not just I keep saying that. Just go Lord, right now we were going before the one that spoke the world into existence. So if you can do that at priests, and it's beautiful, Kevin to that when we do pray to the Lord that way we we realize it's not just us praying, but it's really allowing the Holy Spirit to pray through us. And so it's something that we do not only to the Lord, but through the Lord and the Lord in us. So with that in mind, let's go ahead and pray with silly gracious Father, we thank you for all your goodness, we thank you for the goodness of this day. But the goodness of our life, help us each and every day to to take another step forward, to grow in better understanding of who you are, how immense in great Your love is how you wish to guide us and accompany us through our lives. Every step that we take, help us as well to see how all that is ugly or broken within us that you want to heal that, that you want us to, to offer it up to you so that we might become living sacrifices to your praise and your glory. Or we ask him this time we have together that you allow the Holy Spirit to work through us so that we might touch the hearts of those who have the opportunity to listen to us today. And that they be able to be encouraged in their own walk and to grow closer to you. And all this we ask in Jesus name. Amen.
Thanks. Thank you, because that gives clarity, I think to my soul, as well as just as your brain. And so many times what I have found in my life, I have agendas, right? And I don't know what Yeah, just this morning, I have. Yeah, I gotta go do something. Nine o'clock. Two o'clock. And boy, oh, no, I'm 15 minutes late. And it's usually that's usually me. And but just to pause and recognize I have this incredible God that that can. When you were praying, I was actually in visiting, envisioning myself in a field, a meadow. And it was peaceful. And God was there right there with me. And to be able to just rest in Yeah, yeah. Yeah. That's beautiful. Yeah. And even though we walk through the valley of the shadow death, I mean, that is kind of a human experience. Yeah,
yeah. Oh, yeah. I'll tell you something that's just happened in my life. Again, the Lord just put this book in my path a couple of weeks ago. And it's a beautiful story. It's by a Jesuit priest, who was imprisoned in the Soviet Union, and worked in Siberia and their labor camps. And he originally got into Russia in order to evangelize to bring people to Christ to have them, you know, attain eternal life. And then things didn't work out the way he was hoping. Except at the end, he realized that he needed to learn a lot of things, and that he had gone in with a certain attitude, and especially reliance on his own strengths and gifts that the Lord had given him. But he realized he needed to go to an ever deeper level of complete reliance on the Lord and realizing that he was Weak even though we might have certain gifts and strengths that overall, he was still a weak creature. And let me tell you, the Soviets really put that to the test. Yeah. And, and what was beautiful about that is he had all these ideas like you were talking about an agenda going in, alright, I want to do this. And I want to do that. And all of a sudden, it's like, I have a 15 hour work day in, you know, a Soviet with a labor camp in Siberia. And and where do I find God in this? And he learned how to find God in that. And so that his spirit was in Christ, but rather, he became alive and went to an entirely different level in learning how to look at his everyday circumstances, and see God's hand in that and that he was with him. In each and every step in each and every encounter he'd have with others. Even those were persecuting him.
Yeah, it reminds me, I love that, that it goes deeper. Yeah, that God brings you deeper how you How in the world? Can I do God's agenda, right? In a Soviet or Russian concentration camp? How can that happen? But God brings you to a deeper level. Yeah. And you can either say, I'm going to become bitter. Exactly right. Or I'm going to press in to know who this God is. Reminds me in the book of Job. I mean, you can think of, you know, here's a guy, all of a sudden he's become oppressed. And he's not sure why in the world, this is happening. Yeah. And I think it's, I have to look, look it up again by these chapter 4243. And I'm sorry for not knowing that a lot of times I don't always go to the message translation of it, but it's a little more my language, sometimes. And it mentions in there that where it says, I will no longer a job is saying this to God, I will no longer live by just the rumor of you. And I'm like, when I read that, I'm like, oh, oh, in my living just by the rumor of God, wow. Am I am I taking him fully in? Am I letting my flesh get in the way? How am I? How am I doing that? And so you mentioned that to the down to the Jesuit priests, you know, to have that agenda. And to just say, well, whoa, God's got me in this season. I don't want to be here. But what can I learn from him?
By the way, when you read a story, when you deal with it with your own something you're writing about.
In the past, you mentioned that I had a pastor one time he goes, I never preach on the book of Job. Because crazy things happened to me. Yeah, I really don't want to go there. I like my car. I like things like that. So that's hilarious. It's good to lighten up a little bit too. But, you know, speaking of some things, that you've got some things that God's put onto your heart. We've been able to just you know, so people know, we've been able to Fred and I fell I can call you, Fred. Okay, Fred, we've both been able to just, we have the same hardness for Jesus Christ. Sure. And we are the world wouldn't normally put us in the same room. And many times Christians wouldn't put us in the same room, believers in Christ would put us in the same room. But man, your love for the Lord is amazing. And you you work for the Diocese of Fort Wayne, can you tell us a little bit about that? Because I want to say this. I love your heart. Oh, so I appreciate you
know, yeah, I started. So I am originally from Miami, Florida. And so came up to to Notre Dame, I studied undergrad and my future wife there. My freshman year, actually went to law school. And while I was at law school there, my wife started working for the diocese for Bishop john Darcy, who was new in the diocese at that time. And, and he was just starting some things up. And anyways, he asked my third year of law school, if we would work for him for a few years just to get some things going. And I thought, yeah, I guess we could do that. And and so 33 years. We got you. So just yeah, so this this past June, I finished up in order to transition to doing missionary work. But But yeah, but it's been I mean, what's so wonderful about those 33 years is I learned so much. I also had an opportunity to raise a family you know, have seven kids and now you know, nine grandkids and so that's been awesome. But now I feel like the Lord is trying Position him into a new phase. But I couldn't do what I'm going to about to do or I'm hoping to do. Yeah, I had an app and for those 33 years, because I've learned so much about the Lord about, you know, how his spirit moves, and, and then also just about what does it mean to evangelize? What does it mean, to help people have an encounter with the Lord?
So what does that look like?
Yeah. So, so yeah, I used to. So when I first started, I had this idea that evangelization meant really trying to explain Well, the teachings of the church and theology, and then if you really explained it really well, yeah, that would be there. Yeah. I understand. I understand what you're saying, Yeah, completely. And it was took me years, maybe that's quite 33. But somewhere in there, but it took me to realize is that it has to be an encounter of the heart. And before you even want to know more about the Lord. And so you want to know, the theology The, the teachings, and, and so it's really about yourself being a conduit of God's love and His mercy wherever you go with, with whomever you speak. So that they feel that and then, within that context of a relationship, you can start to then invite them to something or share with them your own story, your own testimony. And, and then people then will feel safe enough, then maybe two, to share with you, you know, maybe some of the questions on their heart. In that context. Yeah.
And it goes with that. The power of prayer. Oh, yeah, definitely. And I just simple point, which 14 minutes is running by here really quick, as the first part of the show, but the first half of the show, but just lately, and I'm a slow learner, and and so just Lately, I've been actually we go to a bar, every two weeks, myself and my wife, I drink Coca Cola. So because I wouldn't be able to handle that otherwise, I think but we go to a bar. And for a long time when we're going to the barn, like how do I persuade these people to come to the Lord? Yeah, like, ah, the Holy Spirit just hit me like a ton of bricks in a nice way. He said, I, I'm here to save. You can point you can point the right direction. But you pray, yeah. And so when I walk into that bar, it's on the west side of town, you can pray for pray for that bar, those men in that bar are broken. You know, they're just broken. And some of them are just wonderful to be around, except for the surgery again. But when I walk in, I'm like, Lord, bring them to you. They're your creation. You love them, right? heal their brokenness. And, you know, may they come to you,
right? There the Lord's project, that art project, you know, and and what I came to realize a number of years ago was that all the Lord is asking you to do is to do your bit in this beautiful story of redemption, and love and mercy. And it's when you're able to open your heart, just do your bit. Let him do the rest. Yeah, he's got other people that he can use to help get them closer to him. And once you do that, once you realize that, Oh, my gosh, it takes the burden off your your shoulders, because it's not you. Yeah, not it's not about you saving them. It's about him using you to do your part, that they'll have him save them.
Yeah, that's a great place to take a break. And we're going to do that. We'll see you on the other side, pure assembly will have a advertisement. And so if you can listen to that, we'd love to be able to have you go to pure stanley.com. We'll be we'll see in just a few seconds.
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Well, I am so glad that you are back with us at healing the land. My name is Kevin Mitschelen. And I have Fred ever with us. And so I'm so grateful for it that you've been able to be a part of of this program this week. I also am very grateful that for your heart and love for the Lord and that as what we were talking prior of people doing their part. And that really is something in which when you take the whole body of believers in Jesus Christ, that the bride of Christ and you take that in have each person doing that. And we'd also then at the very beginning of the program, we talked about the power And in the break, while we were doing a break you had mentioned Fred about going back to that. So can we do that? That would be, that'd be wonderful.
Yeah. So the idea of prayer, and the reason why it's so central, it's not just so that you can be more fruitful. But really, the point of prayer is your relationship with the Lord. And that's really what comes first. And I actually made a mistake years ago, where I really wanted to be more fruitful in my mission. And I thought, okay, I just need to really pray more to the Lord and just deepen my relationship. And with the Lord, let me know pretty quickly was that, you know, he's not a means to an end. He is the, and that's the reason why it's not about how do we, you know, fit in prayer in our schedule. It's how do we build our schedule, around prayer, and really building up that relationship with the Lord? Because once we start to do that, it's like that tree that's planted near the running waters. its roots go deep. And when it's, it's when it's accessing that water, the Holy Spirit, that fruit just comes naturally. Yeah, it's not a struggle, it just naturally comes. So we really want to talk about evangelizing. We ourselves evangelize and and be converted ourselves. So that really, we put the Lord first in our lives. And the more that we're able to then see things through his eyes, love people, through his eyes and with his heart. That's when we're going to be able to do amazing things. But again, we don't do that in order to do those amazing things. We do it because he's the most important person in our lives.
Amen to that stinking when you were speaking about the relationship that Jesus had with his father. What an incredible, right, that communication exactly, between the two and john 17. It does talk about the other unity between the Father and the Son, right. And there's no separation there could not be so rationed. And to think about, you know, the fact that then later on, he prayed for future believers. And I think it touches with the I love what you just said about the tree, being able to, to have those nutrients right coming through. And so it's it's not a strain, right? In this world. You have trouble, right? Yeah, you have trouble. But through Christ, you can then give that trouble back over to the Lord. And when it comes a flow back over, because he's the one that can bear that trouble. right in that myself. Yeah. Amen. I it so what stands in the way?
I think sometimes, you know, we contend, especially as Americans tend to be very pragmatic, just like to achieve things and get things done. And the thought that what comes first is really building relationship. I think that could be, you know, it's easy to get just completely overwhelmed with the business of life. And realize that no, I really need to set aside time in prayer. And I'm talking about, not rote prayers. Though, there's nothing wrong. As a Catholic myself, I've been to the rosary on a daily basis. But what's really important is that heart to heart conversation, where you're really laying the Lord speak to you about things in your life, but also allowing you to speak things that are for the benefit of other people. And it's when you get into that zone, that's when really amazing things happen. Because instead of you're working out of your own agenda, you're working out of his, and that makes all the difference. And you're edifying others. Oh, yeah, right, exactly.
When you're speaking, that reminded me my son, I have two sons, and my youngest son, he's just been exploring the Lord and my oldest son loves the Lord, I don't want to put a plug in for him. My youngest son here has something a little bit unique to some degrees to me, even. And I'm, I'm starting to look myself more as an older man. Yeah, I'm going to be an old man. But Jordan, he has now learned to go up to others and say, This is what the Lord has given me for you. Yeah. He says that you are good or not. And the one thing I've shared with Jordan is, say something positive. Yeah, if something negative, you'll be able to hold off on that. But is there something that the Lord is giving? advice them and thank you because I need usually it says, he's a teenager in writing, there are other teenagers that like they suck that up and who doesn't? Who wouldn't want to hear from a message of you are God loves you, you're obedient. He loves you for that, or something that speaks specifically to them.
And those words of encouragement are great. And sometimes the Lord actually gives us not only a scripture passage, or just a simple, you know, affirmation like that they'll actually give us word of knowledge, something about them, that they'll realize that there's no way you would know that unless God right just said that to you. And when you and when you hear that, all of a sudden you realize God is not some this far away, you know, being who's not really interested in our lives, but he knows me. And And again, it's when you experience that that God really knows me as who I am and delights in me the way I have even with all my defects, even with all my faults, yeah, that's what's transformational.
I heard this the other day, God invented you. For my little mind. I love that. He, He not only admitted he cares for you this year, and I love
that he wants you to be the man or woman He created you to be and be?
Well, going into that I think we could maybe finally get to the point of some of the things that God has laid on your heart. Yeah. In the future. Yeah. We've talked a little bit about your past, right, amazing family. We could spend probably two shows. But you got to put something in front of you. Yeah, you can easily start thinking, Oh, you know what, maybe I want to golf for the rest of the plan. I'm a turtle. Yeah, so you don't want to see me go? The ball goes the wrong way. But God's put something on your heart.
Yeah, no, that's it started about eight years ago, I started discerning that the Lord, you know, wanted me to start looking towards a missionary purpose in my life. And instead, we still had kids at home at that point, I just felt the Lord say no, once the kids are grown, and so I actually ended up in a process of becoming a Catholic Deacon, and I was ordained three years ago. And, and, and I thought I was going to be focused on doing diocesan work for a while longer. And yet, as soon as our youngest daughter, our youngest child, went to college, this past August, the Lord started speaking very clearly, to both Lisa, my wife and I, that this is, you know, this is now this is something we start transitioning to now. And so, and he spoke very specifically, that he should be focused on Cuba. And so at least our first part, because we have some other places in my, in our hearts that we'd like to, to eventually minister to, but right now we feel like Cuba is really, and, and, you know, the queue has been a lot in the news lately. Absolutely. And a lot is happening there. And I really feel that, you know, all the political instability, the social instability, economically, they're doing terribly, I think it's, they're probably going through one of the worst periods of their of their entire time. And so I'm thinking, Okay, Lord, I can't even get in the country because of the pandemic, you know, it's still really in bad shape over there. So, but, you know, reading this book, by the way, it's Walter chisox. He leadeth me is that one, but that priest has been great for me, because, you know, his evangelization didn't turn out exactly how he thought it was going to. And it's led me to say, okay, Lord, okay, I have all these ideas, it's just gonna take a step back, and I know that your hand is in this, and, and just, you know, I just need to be conscious of what it is you want me to do. So I'm very excited about what the Lord is going to do and how, and it's simply, you know, being conscious of doing the right thing at the right time. You know, when he basically wants me to do X, Y, or Z, and I had someone pray over me recently, he got that word for me, even before all the places that Cuba started, just that I had to be very conscious of what the Lord was saying to me, day by day, step by step, because he said, You know, he could easily go into a really bad place, if I wasn't listening. So it made me think, Okay. I don't want to be in a labor camp. It's all a great pass.
My love, I love the fact that you love that you love Jesus, and you you've dedicated your life. And you're still a lot of people who when you look at, say, a retirement age, that you're you're looking at retirement a different way. Sure. And you're saying, Hey, tell me what, where do I go? Right? And what what a great, and you mentioned the roles in the church, and maybe it is to go golfing for the rest of your life. But you know what, if you're on the golf course, then you need to tell people about Jesus Christ. Yeah, exactly. If you're in Cuba, then you need to tell people about Jesus. Yeah,
no. And that's the point. It's, it's, you know, God calls each of us to holiness. And he wants to see that inner transformation for each of us. And he made each of us, you know, particular, like you said, he invented us for a very specific mission. And so for some people, what I'm about to do, wouldn't fit them at all. But then God didn't create them to do that either. Right? And so, it's really about discovering and making sure you know, you're walking in what He created you to because that's when you're going to, even though you might not think it, that's when you're gonna find the most happiness. The most of the greatest sense of fulfillment is when you walk along his path of what He created you to be, and instead of struggling and think, Oh, no, I got all these ideas, I get all these agendas that I need to fulfill, just let go of it and just say, Lord, you know, I, I trust that your plan is the best one. And it doesn't mean that it's all one sided. Like you don't have any input right now, I really believe it's like improv where it's back and forth. He wants you to be a partner. He's like, you know, he, I said, I call you friends, not the service. Right? And that friendship means he wants it to be a back and forth. And that's what makes it a fun adventure.
So let me because we have, again, only a few minutes. All right. How do you let's see you listen to this show? How do you go deeper? Just the baby steps. Right? And maybe you just you know, there's different situations for people, right? How do you how do you do that?
Well, so I'd say if you don't have a regular time of prayer, just set aside, start with 15 minutes, maybe a few minutes reading scripture could be a gospel. And then just take time to, to open up your heart to the Lord, whatever that gospel may have said to you, whatever it is, and, and what's good to realize is that you don't have to put your best face on with the Lord. Yeah, it's whatever it is, if I'm feeling sad, right now, tell the Lord, Lord, I'm feeling sad. Don't feel bad about feeling sad. If you're feeling frustrated, if you're feeling disappointed, whatever it is tired, whatever it is, just lift it up to the Lord. And, and just keep doing it and just keep doing it. And the point is that, the more you do it, and as you get into a rhythm of doing it, it's going to be effort, less in the sense that you'll want to do it. It won't be something like, Oh, I gotta, I gotta go pray. Now. I gotta go. I gotta go talk to my Heavenly Father now, who loves me. He's the most powerful, big
checkoff list.
It's like, okay, let's check in. Yeah. Okay, father, this is what's going on in my heart, why? and be able to feel like you can ask him, and let him speak to your heart. You know, and that's one of the things that sometimes we all, you know, it's got to be like, Oh, you're gonna hear a voice? Not necessarily, but sometimes you can't, I heard something in my heart very clear that like, oh, sometimes it's an impression. And the point is, is that every one is going to have a different way of speaking, just because each one of us is different in our relationship is different. And just have confidence that he wants to speak to you. And, and, and just open yourself to that, and being able to recognize his voice. Well, thank
you. It's the time has gone way too fast. And thank you, Fred, I appreciate you being on the program on healing the land. And, you know, if, if you're seeking, if you're looking for that, if, if you would also venture to say that get into a local body that loves Jesus Christ, that community, Jesus Christ died for the church. And so it asked that you would be in a community of believers. And so, if you can't find one pure assembly would love to be able to help you find one as well. We are not, we are not your church. I'd asked you if we could we could direct you to a place though. So my name is Kevin Mitschelen healing land. I'm so grateful that you're even with us. Take care blessings.
Second Chronicles 714. If my people who are called by my name, humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal
their land. Healing the land is brought to you by pure assembly. Pure assembly is a nonprofit with a mission to heal the wounds of A divided and injured nation through prayer, unity, repentance, and edification. For more ways to get involved and to be a part of their ministry. You can reach them at WWW dot pure assembly.com. That's p u r e assembly.com. Or look for pure assembly on Facebook.