Welcome to healing the land with Kevin Mitschelen, brought to us by pure assembly.
This is Kevin with healing the land. And I'm glad you're a part of the program tonight. I want to get straight to this, because I want to be on topic here. And that is, I'm going to read this scripture. It's Psalm 133. And I'm just going to kind of fire at this just a little bit, because there's something here that we're where I'm going to talk about unity tonight. And if you're listening to this on on podcast, you listen to this on on our pure assembly, COMM A, there's a there's an important message here. And our country right now is experiencing not unity, but we're experiencing disunity. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. And just trying to get this message out today has not been the easiest thing in the world. And so the enemy of our soul doesn't want this. He doesn't want to see unity, especially within the body of Christ. And so I believe this is an important message. It's timely, and we need to be able to talk about this first. It's number one support and let's let's pray about this Lord, Father, God, I give you praise, I asked that, that you would have a clear voice in all of this, that you would, that the words that come out of my mouth would be your words, and not the voice or the or they really even the voice of Kevin Mitschelen. But it'd be your voice that would come through that would be that it'd be your heart that the words would be spoken today would be your words, and not the voice and the words of Kevin, there's just so much when it comes to this world when it comes to distraction. Lord, there's, we're, we're distracted in so many different ways. And so even as I say these things, there's distraction that's happening. So Lord, I asked for clarity, that you would give an opportunity for this word to get out. And so Lord, we give you honor and give you praise and we give you glory, in Jesus name, amen. Psalm 133. Some of you may know this verse, some of you have made me read through it, but then it just didn't stick. But anyway, I want to be able to give this to you. It says in Psalm one 133 In verse one, how good and pleasant it is, when God's people live together in unity. I want to say that one more time how good and pleasant it is, when God's people live together in unity. It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard running down on Aaron's beard down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the do of Herman were falling on Mount Zion, Zion. For there the Lord bestows His blessings, even life for ever more. I would love to be able to keep reading that verse over and over and over again, how good and pleasant it is, how good once you stop and think about that. When God says it's good, it is something that is good. And we need to rush into the question that I have is, are we rushing into that? Are we praying for that? Because guess what, in my tribe, I like my tribe, I like to be around my tribe. I like to be around those who, when I go to church every Sunday morning, it's like, okay, this is how you worship. This is how you pray. This is how you read and interpret Scripture. This is how you do all these things in that's one of those areas in which I look at it, I go, wow, yes, I would love to just stay in my tribe, because you know what, that's comfortable. And there's nothing wrong necessarily with being in the tribe that I'm in. We love Jesus Christ. We love reading scripture. We love being able to break bread with one another. We love to do all those things which are scriptural. And we have a certain way of kind of doing things. But you know what, for me to grow and meet it, also, look at this verse, it says, how good and pleasant is when God's people live together in unity. God loves that he loves when his people come together in unity. And so if he loves that, and he seen it is good and pleasant, then guess what? I need to be in awkward circumstances at times, I need to be able to go out of my little box and go hmm, I wonder what it's like to be in another setting that I'm extremely uncomfortable with, I wonder what that's like, and to be able to go do that. And to go meet with someone who has a brother or sister in Christ and say, so what are those things that bring you edification? What are those things too that hurt you in your life? And I need to be able to listen to what's happening in your in your life. And and not only that, what is God? What is Jesus Christ doing in those areas in your tribe? And so if God looks at that as good and pleasant, then maybe just maybe I need to be able to come in Unity. Every now and then. Every now and then and say, You know what? There's going to be a flipping going it'd be a different narrative of what God a different narrative than what the the world is saying, because what instead the narrative is, What is God doing? What is he doing in all of this? What is happening here? What does God want instead of what Kevin wants? Because I'm simply just a servant. And so are you. If you know who this Jesus Christ is, and I'm speaking primarily to the church, the big C Church of God?
I would, I would simply ask that you would be willing to go outside of the narrative and say, what is it what is what is my brother and sister doing? In the charismatic world, if you're not in the charismatic church, let's take our big boy pants and put them up a little bit. What is happening in the Baptist world what's happening in take a talk about a difference between charismatic and maybe Baptist? Right? It's still the thing is when you take a look at those, those two different denominations in there's a bunch of different denominations in both of those different areas that I just mentioned. But what happens when those two are getting together and say, Hmm, where is Jesus and all this? Because when you ask the simple question to both of those particular groups, do you love Jesus? Are you under the banner of Jesus Christ? Are you under the banner of your heavenly Father? And the answer is yes. Yes. Because what saves me is Jesus. That's what saves me. That's my hope. That's what gives me hope. how good and pleasant it is, when God's people live together in unity. It is like precious oil poured on the head. Ah, think about that for a moment. Who are we here to please? Is it some other brother in Christ? Yeah, I want to I want to be a servant to that other person. But the one that I want to please is my heavenly Father, that's who I want to please. It's, it's nothing or no one else. Because in the song, you know, amazing grace in different times, I quote that because it's my favorite song. But Amazing Grace. How Sweet the Sound the saved a wretch like me. Jesus is the one that saves me. And then you get to verse four, I believe it's verse four, when we have been there 10,000 years, bright shining as a son, I'm not going to care about anything else. Because you know what? The only thing I'm going to care about 10,000 years from now the eternal perspective, is to hear well done good and faithful servant. It's not boy, I grew up well as a Mennonite. Or you know what I grew up, I grew up well and look at look at what I was able to do and in name that name the denomination. That will not matter. The moment you take that last breath, it will not matter. And what I love about this guy that we have is him seen his children being able to come together. And when I look at it from the father of father's perspective, there's something totally different about that. When I look at it from a dad's perspective, I've been given the opportunity to be able to have two sons, Jacob and Jordan. We got Thanksgiving. That's right here we got Christmas that's right here. And we have times in which family come together. And there a lot of times I hear people say I don't want to get together my family because why? This this unity in the family. And it breaks my heart when I hear those things. Are you got to be careful, watch what you say if crazy uncle someone comes over, right? But see, that's not the family of God. I mentioned my two boys. And the one thing I've been able to cherish is that as I grew up to be men now, they're both in college. And as I look at what they're doing with their lives, and they they desire to honor God, and that's a blessing. That's a huge blessing. I save these things because when we have a Thanksgiving meal, or we have a Christmas meal or new New Year's time or anything during these festive occasions that that's this time of year. I don't have to I don't have to worry about disunity is sweet and as a dad. It is a sweet, beautiful moment in which I can give my son a hug. When he comes in. I can give both of my sons a hug when they come across that door welcoming them in and when we look at our Father in heaven, he's looking the same way at us. Oh, my child is in the house. It's God's house. It's not ours. My son just crossed the threshold. And he was away. But now he's now he's home. Come he with me? Come sit with me. And let's talk.
And I think we forget it from God's perspective, what's happening? When there isn't that unity, when we don't have unity within the body of Christ, as it clearly talks about in John chapter 17. Many of us know those verses very, very well. But as we take a look at, at the verses in Psalm 133, I keep beating this and that is how good and pleasant it is. How do I look? from God's perspective in my walking through the door, with unforgiveness towards others, other family members? God's got a big family. When I walk through that door, do I look and go, Oh, that sister so and so. And she did something 20 years ago. And there's that tension that takes place, because you see, the world loves tension. We see it in the media, we see it all the time. But what should be taking place in God's house is something so different, so amazing that others look at that, and they go, I want a part of that. Whatever that guy's got, whatever that lady has, I want that. I want it. Give that to me. I seriously want to see what that person has. Isn't that sweet. And just as as described in ones, Psalm 133, of about the do of it being refreshing when you think about a hot day, and then the next morning, if you see do on the ground, the refreshment from the skies, actually, and the weather that's happened so that the grasses will be able to receive that that new day. I look at John chapter 17. And I ran over to verse 20, in the last few minutes here that we have in the segment, says My prayer is not for them alone, that pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one father, just as you're in Me and I am in You may also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent me that has a tremendous amount of responsibility on our end. You see, it's not just about me, or it's not just about you. It's also one about our Father in heaven. It's also the world is looking. The world is looking to see hmm, is it something that they have that I that I desire? So I give that to you, we're going to be going into a break here. And so let me just pray over this Lord God, I just give you honor I give you I give you honor for what you're doing. We can see so many different people understanding this now and in the church where where there's a desire to be able to take the narrative to something and flip it because the world says disunity be you, Lord God, are looking for unity. And that's pleasing to you. And so Lord God, we want to please you, not throwing away sound doctrine, that is not the goal. But instead we want to, we want to follow you. We want to give all things to you. And may the Gospel of Jesus Christ be presented me the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. Rain, we love you. And I just hope you're going to be able to come back for the next half and we're going to address this area as well called Unity. Seeing that
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Well, I'm glad you're back This is Kevin Mitschelen with healing the land, and we're here for the second part. And the first part we talked a lot about, or I talked a lot about, and hope you're able to just commune with me a little bit with your hearts, talked a lot about Psalm 133. And in the fact that God looks at this of unity aspect, as something good. And when God says it's good, then we just want to address this again, when God says it's good, then guess what, it's good. And we should be running into that, and not figuring out a way to run away from that. And some of the part I'd like to bring up is, Why run away from that? Why, why do that and it's, it's a part of human nature, I believe, to kind of go with your own pack to go with those areas in which you feel very, very comfortable in. And and so we're all born and raised in ways that we just, you know, there's certain foods that we may like, well, if you're Asian, guess what, most likely, you probably tend to like Asian food, you know, if you're, I happen to grew up in the tradition of having more sort of a German food. And so I really like mashed potatoes, right? And I like, I like gravy and noodles. And, you know, that's comfort food. To me, it's kind of a food to a lot of people in the Midwest, but it's one of those things I really, really like. I'm not necessarily someone who likes hot foods. So you know, I'm giving you these examples. I can food because there's all kinds of different food. But you know what, every now and then I go to a Thai restaurant every now and then I go to a Chinese restaurant. One because I've had it before and and I kind of crave that I really like going to get some different taste of foods right. Now I was about ready to tell you I like going to buffets. And because you got different kinds of food there. But that's really not my reason for going to buffet my reason to go into buffets to gorge. My, my when I take a look, though, at what I'm saying when it comes to food. And that is, Hey, can I try Mexican or Tex Mex? You know, what is what is that you know, what is or maybe the other, maybe there's a different way of, of cooking, preparing something. I can accept that different times when it comes to food. But there's many other times in which crossing over into another type of denomination that believes in Jesus Christ and that the Bible is the the firm foundation of where they're at. I, I tend to go well, I don't know, that's just a little, I'll be honest, I'm gonna just say the word goofy to me. I feel awkward. If I if I step so many times into that. And especially when I was younger, that was an area where, where I just know I'm staying in my lane, and that's where I'm going to stay. But then I read Scripture. And Scripture is very clear about God's desire for us as believers and excuse me as believers in Jesus Christ, to do the awkward to do the thing. That doesn't necessarily make sense. And so I'd like to I touched on John 17. This is a, this is a very, this is a scripture that that has been spoken over and over and over again. But you know what, it's one of those things that I'm going to do one more time. I believe it's that important. And so I want to I want to just start here. My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those this is Jesus. Speaking, he's praying to His Father in heaven. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message that all of them may be one. Father, just as you're in Me and I am in you. And let me stop right there. Because that does. That's a hard scripture. That's a hard one to do. Father, just as you and me and I am in you. There was absolutely no separation between the Father and Jesus Christ in Holy Spirit. There's no separation. And he's praying for that. Ah, oh, yeah. How does that look? Because you know what? I just prefer to have noodles all day long. You know, I really do. It's come from food. I can eat noodles all day. German noodles, you know, you name it all kinds of things. Same way when it comes to the spiritual world, same way when it comes to the church that I go to. I kind of have my groove and there's the groove is good. But God also gives us something more the be able to have the sweetness of unity with another brother or another sister in Christ. How sweet is that? That is the do. That is the refreshment. It's not the awkwardness.
But the world would like to end when I say the world. I want to make sure I am also clear about this. Yes, you have The in the natural you have the world. But really what it comes down to the enemy of our soul, the enemy of our soul, the devil would with love and and loves to figure out ways, how can I make it? So this person's offended? How can I make it? So this person feels a slight by that? How can I make sure that, that you know what, what was maybe meant as, as something that was just sort of this off the off the cuff remark gets taken down as offense. Or maybe there was a hurt a serious hurt that had never been dealt with. And and there was no healing that took place there. It's never been addressed. And so it just keeps festering and getting worse. He see the model here is Jesus and his father. That's the model. So where do I go with that? What do I do? Well, then I follow scripture again. And I take a look at Jesus in his own life used to have these bracelets called What would Jesus do? Well, what would Jesus do? Jesus was hung up on a cross. And he had, as he's up on the cross, there wasn't much really left of his physical body. He'd been whipped, he was being destroyed, physically, in front of everybody. And what came out of his mouth is extremely important. He said, Father, forgive them, I do not know what the Father forgive them for they do not know what they do. For they do not know what they do Father, forgive them. In that forgiveness is probably one of the heart it is one of the hardest words in English language. But what does that do? That begins to bring in Unity. That brings the idea of saying, we can have reconciliation. And so I pray that for the church, the big C church, oh, what a great thing that's happening in so many different spaces, I guess what I get to see a ministry I get to see with that's happening. So often, it is wonderful to see those things, I get to see it firsthand where a brother and a an another brother, they've had been in odds for maybe years, or just within days, and then there's this reconciliation that happens Oh, I love that. Let's press in for more. That's let's have that smorgasbord of forgiveness with each other. And so we can look like the John 17 verses where we look like the father and the sons and Holy Spirit. When that be amazing, to be able to so the world can look at us and at the church at what Jesus Christ died for. and rose again, what is it they'll say there's there's something mightily different that's happening in their in their lives, and I want that, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that You have sent me, I have given them the glory that you gave me. And they may maybe one as we are one I in them and you in Me, so that they may be brought to complete unity. You know, we're gonna experience that when we take our last breath, and there will be a day when that will happen. Why don't have it happened now? Is my flesh that big of a problem? Why not now. So I want to press into unity. I want to press into that. And don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we should all sing Kumbaya and somehow act like there's been no offense when there has been offense. We need to address the offense. And as I like to say, so often, we need to put our big boy pants on and say, You know what, I'm going to sit down because I love my brother that much. I'm going to sit down with my sister face to face. Don't zoom. Okay? That's not going to happen. It's not going to work. Some people love zoom hate. Good for you. But guess what, when you're talking about heart matters like this, don't use Zoom. And it just doesn't work. You're gonna have to sit down, take some time out of your schedule. Go travel and meet that person and show them that you love them. Because you know what, by the time you're all done, if you have repentance, if you have repentance, you can give that person a hug. At least shake their hand and say, You know what? I'm so sorry that that's happened. And then you can rejoice.
We live in a world and I want to come down to a close with this. So we live in a world that right now the narratives his division. When I was looking at the news, the other day, it was division, division, division, division division. It's those guys that are wrong. I'm right, they're wrong. And in all those commentaries and all that news program that I saw, that was the narrative, that was exactly what they're selling, is division and tension in that division, and look how stupid they are. I can't believe they did that. Imagine how God how they got that wrong so much. And it goes on both sides of the political aisle. And I get it, if I'm a politician, hey, my job is to actually figure out a way that all I need is 51% of the vote. And that's all I need. Because that gives me a secure win. And how you do that, it's not necessarily bringing everyone together. But the body of Christ, there's These are strong words, that we should be instead running into what God believes is good. And that is unity. In them, and you and me so that they may be brought to complete unity, then the world will know that you sent me I need to stick on this just for a minute. That the world may know. The world needs the church. It needs you. If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, it needs you. It needs you to put away the anger, it needs you to put away the hurt. And instead, we need to be thinking about the eternal. What is it that Jesus wants me to do? Really? What does he want me to do? Yes, there are certain things in which you stand on a hill as long as Jesus says you on that hill, because otherwise, it won't last. Otherwise, it will be drowned out. I had to share these things on my heart, after seeing one news report after another and I love watching the news. It gets old. Because I'm tired of the narrative of what the enemy has for a culture. I'm tired of the narrative. And I hope you are too because there's a better narrative, and that's through Jesus Christ. And don't let the world somehow creep in to the body of Christ. Instead, we need to see the enemy flee, that the gates of hell will not prevail. I give that to you. That's what's on my heart. I hope you take it. I love the those that are listening to this program. I love the encouragement that I'm hearing. It is wonderful to hear what's the response of so many who have who have contacted us and said hey, I love I love this show. So keep keep keep going on with that. And if you can somehow share what pure assembly's doing with others. We would love to have you be able to talk to one person to another. That's the best kind of advertising that can possibly ever imagine. Bless you, and I hope the Lord keeps you well. And we just give you honor for what give honor to God and we give also a blessing to you. We love you in Jesus name, amen.
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 way, 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 purer assembly.com That's p u r e assembly.com Or look for pure assembly on Facebook.