Welcome to healing the land with Kevin Mitschelen. brought to us by pure assembly.
Well, this is Kevin Mitschelen with healing the land. And I am grateful to have you on the program one more time a couple more times here, I appreciate you being here with us. And I just want to first of all let you know about an event that's coming up that Pierre assembly's involved in with, and that is the, we're going to have a prayer meeting over at Notre Dame, and it's going to be at the football stadium. And that will be at five o'clock on January 19. When you're hearing this, you will, this will be in the middle of all that time. So guess what we would love to have you come if you want to bring your your church, we are also looking for not just Notre Dame, but we're looking for a regional awakening of Holy Spirit. And so people will be able to experience God and be able to come and find a relationship with Jesus Christ saying all that I wanted to make sure and get that out. But now that I have a friend of mine, and he is also just a true brother in Christ. And so Mario, Pastor Mario says, I'm so glad that that you're with us, you have experienced so much in your life. And you have actually on your hat, you have simplify, you have had the Marine Corps and you have so many things that you you that the Lord has brought you through. And I deeply appreciate that and admire that for what God is doing in your life. And so past Mario, thank you for being here.
Well, thank you for having me. I always thought, you know, being a pastor, you do funerals, and you know, you have people that come up to the casket and they go, Wow, the guy looks so good or lady and you think he's dead. He can't look good. But here's my point. I'd much rather be seen today in the flesh alive, speaking his words, then have somebody stand over me. What I'm saying is this. It's good to be seen and heard. Sometimes you could just be seen. And that's good thing because the battle is over then. But God is allowing us today on the day he's made to be heard. And to be seen a lot of people are seen whether they're dead in the spirit or dead in the flesh. But those of us who are believers, we need to be heard. Yeah. Because he's given each of us a word.
Yeah. And, and speaking into that, we talked a little bit previously about your testimony. Yeah. And, and you, you have one of those testimonies, where sister, it's, you know, everyone, if you have come to know the Lord, God is writing a story in you. But if you could share a pastor, or some of the story of what God has written in you, and what he's doing now, and in what he's doing now is what
I like to say, as I sit here today that I'm a man of sorrows, and being a man of sorrows, is not a bad thing. Because it's allowed me to understand pain, and in understanding pain, it takes away any act that would cause intentional pain on to a person so I'm always mindful of anything that I say or do causing pain, you know, in my life now, and I've been saved 28 years. I got saved in prison in 1994. And I was a type of guy I'm 69 I got saved at age 42. For 42 years I ran from God. And there were people who were speaking into my life that God had a calling on my life man, I'm you know, having a look chasing women, smoking dope, snorting cocaine drinkin. But at the same time, being a businessman and endeavouring to run for office. I'm thinking, Well, I'm doing good things. Yeah,
your name is Altay people, people in this region they
named at one point. In 1992 93, I was recognized I have the highest profile of any non elected officials believe it, but I didn't deserve it. I didn't understand at that time, that I wasn't doing my work that what God wanted to do in me was was his work. But I was so private I was caught up and wearing a suit and a tie and being a business man and you know, driving a Mercedes and and you know, being recognized, but But you know what I mean? I was able to hide things in my life adultery. I had been married at that point for almost a dozen years and and was a serial adulterer. I mean, I'm not saying that to be proud. I'm saying that because that man is dead in the corner. Amen. And I'm not trying to hide a dead guy. So So all of that came to a head in 1994. I had run for office, I'd run for county council 92 loss. And then people because of my I was very outspoken in the community. And people wanted me to run for mayor and you know, of course ego you're puffed up. Yeah, that's
what a huge title. Yeah.
Well, I had stood against corruption. Yeah. which angered leadership in in South Bend. And I had
no corruption.
We'll see I'm originally from Chicago. My mom moved here in 88. I'm familiar with corruption, you know? Oh, you bet. But I figured small town, man, this is a great place. Yeah, man. You come here. And you go Whoa, yeah. You know, organized crime, gangs, political corruption, cronyism, everything is here. Yeah. And, and so while you know, being a Marine veteran, I'm going to fight it. You're charging. Well, but that's one thing, but I wasn't saved. Yeah. So you know what, you set yourself up like that, you know, and my house had gotten shot into well, my wife at the time, really, she just very quiet person. We have a son together and and you know, I would come home she in as I was coming in, she hang the phone up and tears in our eyes, because she just received another death threat. Our house had gotten shot into twice. And so in, she filed for divorce in 1993. She wanted me to just be a businessman. And you know, no, I'm loving the line, right? And man, the ladies have given me their phone numbers. You know, all of us you want you want to do an interview. Let me get my suit on. You don't say all of that. All of that. Just garbage. And, and Paul, as Paul says, I call it dung. You know, all of that was done. But I have to explain it to you. She understand how the fall came about. And so she filed for divorce, and our son was nine years old. He didn't want to move with his mom. So she had a problem with child custody. Ultimately, what happened she struck a deal with my political enemies then if she just claimed falsely because we continue to have sex even though she filed divorce. We had some rental properties. I lived down the street from our marital residence, we continue to have a sexual relationship. And so one day I left and she called the police and said I'd raped her. My divorce attorney at the time David Albert said Come on. This is nonsense. We go down to police station explain. And I went down to the police station and they said did you have sex your wife and I go Yeah, and I go I turn around and you're arrested, you know, for like four felony counts. And And so long story short, got convicted. June, June 3 of 1994. Sentenced to 27 years. The day a jury trial in what I didn't wasn't allowed to testify, no witness I, you know, the day of trial after the the state rested, my attorney said no one's gonna believe this wild story you break in your house, your wife is not injured or battered or any of that kind of stuff. And I had witnesses that could have testified he didn't call any witnesses. He rested. The jury deliberately three or four hours, I was found guilty at six o'clock that evening. I remember passing out Furniture never fainted by life. Fania. Two or three days later, I wanted to die. I wanted to commit suicide by not eating or drinking water. That was my plan. I talked to my youngest daughter who was 16 at that time from prison, and she said Daddy, you have to fight and I'm like, I don't know mania, publicly humiliated laying at the old county jail on a mattress because it was so crowded. My mattress is right next to the toilet. Right? And every time the toilet flushed, I get sprinkled, I guess has been baptized with water. But I got the prison from the county jail and had this hunger that I never had before in my life to start reading the Bible and start studying the Bible. And
so you went basically literally from driving a Mercedes. Yeah. To being on the floor.
Yeah. And wearing other people's ripped up jail cogs and eating really bad food and
that's about the biggest gut punch you I you know, and the rejection from to from your wife. Yeah, yeah.
Because, you know, it was such pitch. I felt such betrayal. But then if you see what God did, what happened along about September of 94 I've been in prison couple months and you know, you want to literally I was set up and so you're angry right? And you want to So God said it was like mind blowing. God said oh, you Well, look at all the things you've done in your life that people, right. I don't know God but yeah, but he said, No, I tell you what, let me show you something. It's like he got a big huge screen out. And he had his finger on the on the DVD and he would play parts back and forth of my life. And he did say is that you? Okay? Yeah, God, but he is that you is that he kept doing that, till I just like collapsed in just tears and just was broken, absolutely completely defeated and broken. And, and I remember calling my pastor at the time Reverend Sam Chase was going to be on is going to be with the Lord on 2005, where he would have me call him from prison every Saturday and he couldn't afford it. He worked as a parking lot attended it because he wasn't supported by the church. But one Saturday I called him and I said, Robin Chase, I've come to understand that, um, the worst sin in the world. He said, Brother Sam's you have no place to go. But up from there. Yeah. And, you know, I just started pouring myself into the Bible. I would go to Prison Fellowship, which was a great program. Yeah, of course. Yeah, absolutely. Of course. And I found that he had had a higher phone. Yeah. You know, and so Prison Fellowship and, and so many Mike felner would come in from South Bend. And and so many teachers would come in, and I would go and sit up under their teaching. And the high point of this story that I got to tell you, I was at the name of USANA when Mike Tyson and Mike and I were kind of he was a bigger celebrity, but he and I were considered this. So I was mayoral candidate. And so Mike and I would talk and he would tease me and I would tease him and we got to know each other. And then so he saw he got out and March of 95, I think and he sent a Muslim Imam Sadiq okay to talk to me. And the guy said, Hey, Mike, you know, said, What do you want? He gave me a hug, because that's how Mike and I used to greet he gave me a hug. And he said, I tell you what, think about it. I'll call you to Muslim service. Well, they had want to be to be they knew I was outspoken and high profile, you're going to be the next Malcolm X. Right? Right. That's what the plan was. Okay. So I go they call me out for Muslim service and my walk in he hands me a Quran. And, you know, all the guys are Muslims. They know who I am. And I tell him, I can't accept this. And he said, Well, Mike just wants to know what you can get you anything you want. I don't think in Johnnie Cochran man, I could get this, isn't it? Yeah. And in prison, three years, my son is dead when you come home. You know, all of that. And, and, and so I call my pastor and I go, you know, they offered anything. He goes, brother Sam's, you know who you belong to. Right? Yeah. And then, and then I realize, you know, if God bless me, come home now, quote, unquote, for my son, I'm gonna do the same things that I did. So I'm gonna I remember going into my cell and picking up this Bible. And I was getting ready, throw it down. Because one of the filings I've made had been rejected that I just knew was gonna release me and it was rejected. And I put it down. Because I heard God's voice if you throw it down where you're going, yeah, so it was 1997. And I didn't get released to December of 2006. By 1999. I was teaching Bible study, and that even the institution doing a lockdown would let me come out of my cell, and teach a Bible study where, you know, to the guys that wanted it. I just, I would minister to Aryan brothers, Neo Nazis, Gangster Disciples, Vice Lords, everyone, and I just found out that the men that were the most violent men had never known, had never known the love of God. And so after they would confront me angrily with a problem I saw through what was going on, I would give them a hug.
Yeah, there's a hurt that that hurting people hurt people they do.
And they never seen God's love through a man. Yeah. You know, God's retinas appeal your head or does stab you with a shank, and you're gonna come on, brother, give me a hug.
And this is all part of why we want to have this show as is, is the title is healing the land. Yeah. And what you're describing is that healing process that takes place and you're to and God is flowing through you into others. And we're going to come in the other side of the show on the other half here, and we're going to talk more, because this is something that's real. And this is something which God, God will many times he'll get our attention. I
get it. I wish he does.
But he loves us so much to do that for us. So we'll see you on the other side of the program.
Hi, I'm Dawn born member of pure and 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. To learn more about us, check us out at www dot pure assembly.com. Or find us on Facebook. Just search for pure assembly. While you're there, we'd love you to like us too. Thanks for listening to healing the land.
Let's Kevin Mitschelen with healing the land and I have pastor Mario sims with us and I'm also with dulos chapel in downtown South Bend and they have been now part of the church has been a part of the downtown area for quite a while
since 2013. My wife had bought it Yeah.
And doing inner city ministry. I've been there and it is it's it is exhilarating. It is got so many incredible highs yeah and and so it's but it is definitely a faith walk and and and so I very much appreciate Pat tomorrow that you've taken the time to be on the show. And and you've had so many different incredible experiences in doulos chapel. But if we can come back again to that that area of we were just talking in the first section about you come to know the Lord, you had this incredible I wouldn't say Jet Set life but it was a life that that people were calling your name. Yeah. And they were and you had powerful
served on six or seven boards of YMCA board at all.
So you're a wanted man you didn't say oh, we got Mario on the board we got we get he's he's he's driving the nice cars. He's got the he's got the the appearance of incredible family. He's got he's got all these things. We and we're looking mayor, and not only when you have Mayor under your belt, then you can start going, Hey, was that governorship look like? And what does that maybe? What is maybe possibly what's the next rung right up the ladder going up? And all that seems very attractive to the flesh. And there's some good things you can do from those positions. But at the same time as though God had you run to a different go to a different direction. Yeah. And I wouldn't unwillingly.
12 and a half years of furniture. I don't recommend
it to you. We left off I think you talked about there's Bible studies in prison. Yeah,
so So 1994 It's August, September, I got this hunger and I'm sitting on anybody in prison who claims to know the Bible, and you quickly understand you don't know anything. And so I'm going to Prison Fellowship, which I think was Wednesday nights. And then you have worship service on Sunday. And we have some incredible people coming in Deacon Garfield, Dixon, who is out of Gary and Mike felner who is locally here and just so many so many great men of God that will come in with Prison Fellowship or on their own and, and I just had this hunger and and I remember in January 1995, because I've never owned a Bible, a male call comes and I get this package, and it's a read Bible, but there's no return address. And, and there was a friend that was uh, he and his wife were friend of my wife and I and his son and my son were the same age. They were friends, but we really weren't close, you know? Well, so he said, When I first got the prison, hey, do you want me to send you a television? Or, or you know, commissary money for food or I can send you books. So, in the 12 years, I was in prison, he sent over 700 books, okay, to me, he would go to library and you know, they used to have to use books sale. So I began reading books, and I quickly realized after reading books, that it's not man's knowledge that's going to change you know, the most right, brilliant man. Yeah, you know, Freud, a cocaine addict. You know, all you read, but all these people you don't hear about that? Yeah, exactly. You know, they hold up as you know, in you, you look deep, and you just really they're, they're flawed. So, Jesus I the first book, I read it because I you know, I'm like if I'm going to believe I got to know who he is. So the first book I read was more than a carpenter. And and it just helped me understand and then and then I read Pilgrims Progress. And then and then I started reading I read you know, so many different personal tests of Chuck Colson was, you know, a born again and all his his other books were just because I could relate this guy was the President's Council. Yeah, I'm just bragging because I have this access locally. This guy can feed on the show. I just honkers hunger so January by Brom. It's like Saturday, I make my say, Eva, I want to go Oh, I didn't know who was from Bible. Half parents wishing she didn't come Eric 20. If you talked about leave it to bfcm Bible and I go I'm looking forward to so from napping on from 95 nine guys see him study guide is supposed to study hidden guys sit down and go who's gonna do 99 to 2006 I started process of going chapel service and so they were so so I stopped prayer initially was in this is where your lips tremble and I realized I really wow so God's will and this is what he said he goes yeah volunteers come in there and Lauer's once these guys your machinery they need to see what's okay well anyway guys would tease me like, you know, Mr. Simms, you go around with a big smile, and you can't explain that. Yes, they knew every Friday, I'm out in the day room. Five o'clock, take my shower out with my Bible from 537 Anybody wants sometimes is one guy there. Sometimes it's 15. Getting Bible studies, made a lot of friendships got threatened my life a couple times, because if your Bible study teacher and you get worried that one of your guys is selling tobacco or cocaine does come into your Bible study. You got to rebuke them. Yeah. And I remember one guy was, it's called an Inca in the Latin Kings, Incas are the leaders. And there's one guy was coming to Bible study, but he was still involved in gang activity. So I gave him a scripture in Romans, that if you continue your wicked ways, and put it on his bed an hour later and read my Bible, he comes in he's a big guy led by 256, three. And he stands at my door. I would his fist balled up. Okay, yeah. And he goes, but Mario just respected me. So you know, Herrmann is like, like, little skinny guy, and I take my glasses off, put my Bible down, and I go up to him, and I put my arms around and said, No, brother, I love you very much. I just talked to him last week. Chris Alvarez. Yeah, he's a spiritual son of mine. Oh, my
God love them. Yeah, he sweet is
that, you know, that's the thing that's so wonderful. People who you wouldn't want to, you know, you see him coming down the street when you're your businessman. And now, you you got a spiritual bond with.
Unbelievable. Yeah, I mean, only God can do that. Yeah, there's no way no other way. That's impossible. You know,
I got to put the scripture out because it ties everything. Joseph went through a similar experience falsely accused of rape. And you know, of course, his brothers are in front of him, and they don't know who he is. And he, he knows who they are. This is the Joseph story. It's a modern day version. And so he Genesis 5019. He goes, what you intended for evil God intended for good and that's, I can't be angry, man. God use prison to give me such an incredible life. My later days on my greater days, man, I just get up in the morning. It couldn't get worse. I was in prison, man. You know, so what? Satan you can't threaten me with anything. God was with me there. And and man is all about ministering to those that society says are the worst. But even in that, you know, I'm a veteran softstart minister and a veteran. I ministered to police officers, I ministered lawyers, I ministered to judges. Because it doesn't matter what your title is. People are still hurting. Yeah, they're still hurting.
They are. There's a there's a brokenness. Yeah. And how do you see I mean, you're just explaining here how that healing takes place. It is through Jesus Christ.
Yeah. But you know what in order for it's the one thing that Christians don't want to do his Shadrach Meshach and Abednego and I bound down and that means going into the furnace, I'm going and we're faced with those furnace, you know, ultimatum so many times that many of us like, I don't want to I don't want to say something that may cost me my job. I don't want to say something that may prevent me from being elected. Right? I want to don't want to say anything that prevents people from liking me right? Jeremiah man if you studied the Bible, prophesies for 40 years and didn't have one convert. Many times my wife and I as a church have no one sitting in the church on Sunday but we get the word out absolutely because it's not about how many people are there best Kevin is you know we've never tied right 13 years
of buildings made for God's sakes guys so yeah
just just will guide will ship
ya know why ran I had right and but God God said I'm meeting you right where you
that he goes, I allowed you because in Jeremiah 29 Even I see God sets a time there's a time so I just came to accept okay, you're in control. I'll go I'll be released. What happened was I taken a course to get six months and added and said it's your time prayed and I'm like God was I used to fast so I'd wrap a towel when I needed God. I fasted and prayed and subsist well I didn't get the 90 DAY TIME cut I got sent to and then judge was so rest Judge Steven gang. I had a special Adam. I did three years probation and at the end of my probation, I didn't spit on the sidewalk, man. I didn't get a parking ticket. And Melinda Rimbaud, my probation officer the last day of my probation. I was just supposed to check in and sign the clipboard. That was it. There was a note for me to talk to her. So I I go back and she puts her hand put my hand out. So this is the last time and she goes knock my head hanaway gives me a hug and said, I've never seen information like this
with amazing. It's it's God, unfortunately, we live in the Western world. And so we got to have that maybe more towards the end of the story. But the story is not ended because God keeps working you in each and every well and we share Yes. What God's Well, what's
happened is two years ago, the officer that planted evidence in my case was so arrogant. He admitted that to a reporter, and the reporter immediately filed a police report about it, and notified several other path to trail who was the head of the Board of Public Safety. Derek Jeter, who was a city councilman and police officer 30 years as witnesses to this event. So we're it looks really well for my conviction to be dismissed. Oh, my gosh, but But you know, I knew was going to happen that way. It happened that somebody would tell him themselves.
It's God. Yeah. Wow. He's, he's, he's moving and speaking today.
I want people I want people to experience that pastor I have this is why I'm telling my story. It's not a fun story or a great story. It's a story filled with pain and much of it I caused myself yeah, what my choices? Yes. And, and, and so people would come to me and say God has a calling your life and like, yeah, right. Yeah, I never forget. I was in Indianapolis in 1977. I was assistant manager of a youth organization and add smoke weed and drank wine. I'm in Kroger's on 10th Street and blitz out of my mind. And a pastor came up to me that I knew and he's passed. Terry Halleck I didn't see him coming. He whispered in my ear. Mario, God has a calling your life. I'm like, man, what are you talking about? Dude, I'm high. Yeah, well, that was 1977. Fast forward to 1994. I'm sitting in prison. And I'm hearing there it is. Yeah, you know, he's got a call and you're I've been trying to call you if you listen earlier, maybe you won't be here. Folks. If he's calling you answer, man,
and that's about it. You just said what I was gonna say. You're listening to this. You're listening for a reason. And so we're going to end there. But God, God loves you when he wants to wrap his arms around you. And so I hope you take the opportunity to do that. Thanks for sharing this time with us and God bless you from healing the land and pure assembly. Thank you.
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 pure assembly.com That's p u r e assembly.com. Or look for pure assembly on Facebook.