Several years ago on the Campo reservation in Southern California, a very traditional elder was telling me how the "youth of today" don’t respect the elders as they should.  Respect for elders is one of the VERY BEST Native American traditions.

Just as in the Native traditions, as a Christian, we also should have respect for our spiritual elders.  A "Christian elder" is a mature Christian that is becoming Christ-like and is doing the will of Jesus.  An elder is continuing to grow in the knowledge of God, is strong in the Lord’s power and patience with joy in his heart, full of thanksgiving.

We show respect for spiritual elders by allowing them to teach and train us in the ways of the Lord.  Here are some of the ways we can learn from those who are spiritual elders:

• Know Father-Creator’s ways
• Make right decisions and choices based on Biblical principles
• Fight spiritual battles
• Love our families and those around us more than ourselves

Philippians 1:6, 9-10

"⁶being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  ⁹And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ."  [NIV]

• According to "Wired", an email publication, an organization of 18 Native American tribes in the San Diego area  (including Pala where we lived for 8 years), was awarded a $5 million grant from Hewlett Packard to build a "Digital Village in Southern California. The opportunity will allow Indians to remain on the reservation to make a living, find jobs, preserve their culture, educate their children and build community. Three tribes are already linked to the high-speed wireless Internet connection provided by the University of California – San Diego.
• The Chinook Indian Tribe is waiting to hear whether they will be recognized as a tribe by the Federal government. According to historians and the Bureau of Indian Affairs the Chinook are not a tribe at all.

Walking a New Path
(Part 4 from Lesson 1: Basic Discipleship Course)

3. The Father-Creators love for us

Romans. 5:8:
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

• Bridge - Because of our sin, we have been separated from Father- Creator, with no way to bridge the gap between our sinful nature and a Holy God.  But just as a man would put a log across a stream or a deep canyon, so that he can get to the other side, Father-Creator has bridged the gap with His son, Jesus. He has made the WAY for us to once again walk in fellowship.  We now have a choice, whether or not to walk across the log.

• Pig and Lamb - There was a pig that got tired of always being in dirty, smelly mud. So he decided on his own, he would be like the clean, white lambs that go to church on Sunday. So he took a very long bath put on his best clothes and went off to church feeling very "religious". After a time, after trying to be good on his own, he saw that nice, cool, soothing mud. He said to himself, "Well, its O.K. if I just put my hoof in". Well, before long, he found himself completely covered with that old mud again. He failed despite trying to be good. He could not live like the clean lambs. But if we could take out that pig’s old stony heart and put in a pure heart like the lambs, he would want to keep clean because of his new heart.

4. Faith – taking action by accepting the Love of Jesus

Romans. 10:9-10

"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

• Faith- Taking action on what we believe and hope for.  Acting on what we believe is true in the Creator’s Word, (the Bible).  Gift - If a friend were to give you a great gift and put it on the table in front of you, you would take action, believing it was for you, pick it up and then thank him for it.  So it is with our Creator, giving us a gift of new life and the forgiveness of all our sins, but we to need accept by faith that new life!

• Please pray for the healing and deliverance for Indian families in the U. S. and Canada.
• Please pray for a couple that recently married. The wife has left the husband.
• Please pray for WFC staff health and finances.
• Go to http://www.warriorsforchristonline.org/prayer.htm and join us in praying for those who leave requests on the prayer board.

• As we finish writing our lesson on Spiritual Warfare in the WFC discipleship course – YOU CAN HELP!
• Do you have suggestions on topics you think we should include?  As a Native American what spiritual warfare have you experienced?  How has the Lord and his power through His Word helped you overcome the enemy?  (Flesh, World or Satan).
• You can leave your thoughts and insights for us through the web site at http://www.warriorsforchristonline.org/contact.htm or through mail or phone call. We would really appreciate your input!

"THE PRAYER CIRCLE" - Those that have committed at least once a week, to pray for spreading the Gospel,  to effectively reach American Indians, for discipled native leaders, and the Warriors for Christ staff, Board and regional Directors. We will send you emails of prayer requests as we receive them and will ask you to join WFC staff to pray for these needs, and the ones posted on the WFC prayer board.  To join send us an email at warriors@warriorsforchristonline.org

"WARRIOR COUNCIL" - Those that have made a monthly pledge of financial support to WFC.  Just go to http://www.warriorsforchristonline.org/donations.htm to reach our "help page" on the web site and let us know that you want to join with us to help reach our Host people with Christ's love.

This Thanksgiving give thanks to the Lord.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."  [NIV]

Colossians 3:17